Waterwort
Elatine triandra · Aquatic plants
A stand of it · Photo: Игорь Васильев / CC BY
Also called Three stamen waterwort, Small waterwort
How to identify Waterwort
- Tiny, opposite oval leaves on creeping stems
- Very small flowers in the leaf bases
- Forms low mats on mud or underwater
Similar plants
Water starworts have notched or spoon shaped leaves and floating rosettes, while waterworts form tight, low mats.
Growth profile
| Growing season | Annual that sprouts in late spring or as water drops, flowers through summer and dies in fall. |
|---|---|
| Starts growing | About 55 to 60 F water or warm exposed mud |
| Light | Needs shallow water or exposed mud |
| Depth | Moist mud to 2 feet |
| How it spreads | Seeds |
| Habitat | Muddy shores, drawdown zones and shallow pools of ponds and reservoirs. |
Why it matters in a lake
Often appears on mud flats when reservoirs and ponds draw down. Small seeds persist in the mud for years.
Where it is found
- Idaho: Occasional
- Oregon: Occasional
- Wyoming: Rare
Classification
| Kingdom | Plantae |
|---|---|
| Phylum | Tracheophyta |
| Class | Magnoliopsida |
| Order | Malpighiales |
| Family | Elatinaceae |
| Scientific name | Elatine triandra |
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Slender naiadNeed a hand?
Is it taking over your lake?
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