Callitriche palustris — vernal water-starwort
![Fruits: Callitriche palustris. ~ By Elizabeth Farnsworth. ~ Copyright © 2024 New England Wild Flower Society. ~ Image Request, images[at]newenglandwild.org](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com:443/taxon-images-1000s1000/Plantaginaceae/callitriche-palustris-fr-efarnsworth.jpg)
![Plant form: Callitriche palustris. ~ By Arthur Haines. ~ Copyright © 2024 Arthur Haines. ~ arthur.d.haines[at]gmail.com](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com:443/taxon-images-1000s1000/Plantaginaceae/callitriche-palustris-ha-ahaines-b.jpg)
![Plant form: Callitriche palustris. ~ By Marilee Lovit. ~ Copyright © 2024 Marilee Lovit. ~ lovitm[at]gmail.com](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com:443/taxon-images-1000s1000/Plantaginaceae/callitriche-palustris-ha-mlovit-b.jpg)
![Leaves: Callitriche palustris. ~ By Arthur Haines. ~ Copyright © 2024 Arthur Haines. ~ arthur.d.haines[at]gmail.com](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com:443/taxon-images-1000s1000/Plantaginaceae/callitriche-palustris-le-ahaines-a.jpg)
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New England distribution
Adapted from BONAP data
Native: indigenous.
Non-native: introduced (intentionally or unintentionally); has become naturalized.
County documented: documented to exist in the county by evidence (herbarium specimen, photograph). Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
State documented: documented to exist in the state, but not documented to a county within the state. Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
Note: when native and non-native populations both exist in a county, only native status is shown on the map.
Found this plant? Take a photo and post a sighting.
enlargeFacts
Vernal water-starwort prefers still or slow-moving waters, but it sometimes becomes exposed as water levels decline. Ducks and other waterfowl eat the leaves and fruit. It also provides protective habitat for fish. Water starworts (Callitriche) are remarkable for having flowers able to be pollinated by wind when emergent (anemophily), by water when floating at the surface (epihydrophily), as well as when submerged (hypohydrophily).
Habitat
Lacustrine (in lakes or ponds), shores of rivers or lakes, swamps
Characteristics
- Habitat
- aquatic
- New England state
-
- Connecticut
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- Flower petal color
- NA
- Leaf type
- the leaves are simple (lobed or unlobed but not separated into leaflets)
- Leaf arrangement
-
- opposite: there are two leaves per node along the stem
- whorled: there are three or more leaves per node along the stem
- Leaf blade edges
- the edge of the leaf blade is entire (has no teeth or lobes)
- Flower symmetry
- NA
- Number of sepals, petals or tepals
- there are no petals, sepals, or tepals in the flower, or they are not clearly present
- Fusion of sepals and petals
- NA
- Stamen number
-
- 1 or 2
- 3
- Fruit type (general)
- the fruit is dry but does not split open when ripe
- Fruit length
- 1–1.4 mm
-
Clonal plantlets
- Bulbils
- the plant does not appear to have bulbils
- Bulblets replace flowers
- there are no bulblets where the flowers are located
-
Flowers
- Anther spurs
- the anthers do not have spurs on them
- Calyx symmetry
- NA
- Carpels fused
- the carpels are fused to one another
- Cleistogamous flowers
- there are no cleistogamous flowers on the plan
- Corolla palate
- NA
- Corona lobe length
- 0 mm
- Epicalyx
- the flower does not have an epicalyx
- Epicalyx number of parts
- 0
- Filament surface
- the filament is smooth, with no hairs or scales
- Flower description
- the flower has an inferior ovary, with or without a hypanthium
- Flower petal color
- NA
- Flower reproductive parts
- the flower has either only pollen- or only seed-producing parts
- Flower symmetry
- NA
- Flowers sunken into stem
- no
- Form of style
-
- the flower has two or more completely separate styles
- the style is branched above the base
- Fused stamen clusters
- NA
- Fusion of sepals and petals
- NA
- Horns in hoods (Asclepias)
- NA
- Hypanthium
- the flower does not have a hypanthium
- Inflorescence one-sided
- the flowers are arrayed in a spiral around the inflorescence axis or branches, or occur singly, or in several ranks
- Inner tepals (Rumex)
- NA
- Marks on petals
- NA
- Nectar spur
-
- NA
- the flower has no nectar spurs
- Number of pistils
- 1
- Number of sepals, petals or tepals
- there are no petals, sepals, or tepals in the flower, or they are not clearly present
- Number of styles
- 1–2
- Ovary position
- the ovary is above the point of petal and/or sepal attachment
- Petal and sepal arrangement
- the flower includes neither petals nor sepals
- Petal and sepal colors
- NA
- Petal appearance
- NA
- Petal folds or pleats
- NA
- Petal hairs (Viola)
- NA
- Petal number
- 0
- Petal tips (Cuscuta)
- NA
- Reproductive system
- each flower has only carpels or only stamens, but both types of flower are present on each plant (monoecious)
- Scales inside corolla
- no
- Sepal and petal color
- NA
- Sepal appendages
- the sepals do not have appendages on them
- Sepal appendages (Oenothera)
- NA
- Sepal color
- NA
- Sepal number
- 0
- Stamen attachment
- the stamens are not attached to the petals or tepals
- Stamen number
-
- 1 or 2
- 3
- Stamen position relative to petals
- NA
- Staminodes
- there are no staminodes on the flower
- Umbel flower reproductive parts
- NA
-
Fruits or seeds
- Achene relative orientation
- NA
- Achene shape
- NA
- Achene surface (Polygonum)
- NA
- Achene type
- NA
- Berry color
- NA
- Capsule color (Viola)
- NA
- Capsule splitting
- NA
- Fruit (pyxis) dehiscence
- NA
- Fruit features (Brassicaceae)
- NA
- Fruit length
- 1–1.4 mm
- Fruit locules
- two
- Fruit type (general)
- the fruit is dry but does not split open when ripe
- Fruit type (specific)
- the fruit is a nut (dry and indehiscent, with a hard wall, usually containing only one seed and usually subtended by an involucre)
- Legumes (Fabaceae)
- NA
- Mericarp length
- 0 mm
- Mericarp segment shape (Desmodium)
- NA
- Other markings on berry
- NA
- Ovary stipe
- the ovary or fruit does not have a stipe
- Placenta arrangement
- the plant has axile placentation, in which the ovules are attached where the septa of a compound ovary are united, usually on the central axis, or to the septa themselves
- Rows of seeds in fruit (Brassicaceae)
- NA
- Schizocarpic fruit compression
- NA
- Schizocarpic fruit segments
- 0
- Septum in fruit (Brassicaceae)
- NA
- Wings on fruit
-
- the fruit does not have wings on it
- the fruit has one or more wings on it
- prickles on fruits
- the fruits do not have thorn-like defensive structures
-
Glands or sap
- Glands on leaf blade
- the leaf blades do not have glandular dots or scales
- Sap
- the sap is clear and watery
- Sap color
- the sap is clear
-
Growth form
- Growth form
- the plant is an herb (it has self-supporting stems)
- Lifespan
- the plant lives only a single year or less
- Parasitism
- the plant is not parasitic
- Plant color
- the leaves or young stems of the plant are green
- Plants darken when dry
- no
- Spines on plant
- the plant has no spines
-
Leaves
- Bracteole number (Apiaceae)
- 0
- Bracts in plantain (Plantago)
- NA
- Final leaf segment length (compound lvs only)
- 0 mm
- Final leaf segment length to width ratio (compound lvs only)
- 0
- Final leaf segment width (compound lvs only)
- 0 mm
- Hairs on underside of leaf
- the underside of the leaf is not hairy, or it has very few hairs
- Hairs on upper side of leaf
- the upper side of the leaf is not hairy, or it has very few hairs
- Leaf arrangement
-
- opposite: there are two leaves per node along the stem
- whorled: there are three or more leaves per node along the stem
- Leaf blade base
-
- the leaf has a distinct leaf stalk (petiole)
- the leaf has no stalk
- Leaf blade base shape
- the base of the leaf blade is cuneate (wedge-shaped, tapers to the base with relatively straight, converging edges), or narrow
- Leaf blade edges
- the edge of the leaf blade is entire (has no teeth or lobes)
- Leaf blade length
- 5–15 mm
- Leaf blade shape
-
- the leaf blade is linear (very narrow with more or less parallel sides)
- the leaf blade is obovate (egg-shaped, but with the widest point above the middle of the leaf blade)
- the leaf blade is spatulate (spoon-shaped; narrow near the base, then suddenly widening to a rounded tip)
- Leaf blade surface colors
- the upper side of the leaf blade is relatively uniform in color
- Leaf duration
- the leaves drop off in winter (or they whither but persist on the plant)
- Leaf form
- the leaves are green, with an expanded blade and a leaf-like texture
- Leaf spines
- there are no spines on the leaf edges
- Leaf stalk
-
- the leaves have leaf stalks
- the leaves have no leaf stalks, but attach directly to the stem
- Leaf stalk attachment to leaf
- the petiole attaches at the basal margin of the leaf blade
- Leaf stalk base
- the petiole base is narrow where it attaches to the stem
- Leaf teeth and lobes
- the edge of the leaf blade is entire (has no teeth or lobes)
- Leaf type
- the leaves are simple (lobed or unlobed but not separated into leaflets)
- Leaflet number
- 0
- Leaves per node
- there are two leaves per node along the stem
- Pinnately compound leaf type
- NA
- Specific leaf type
- the leaves are simple (lobed or unlobed but not separated into leaflets)
- Stipels
- NA
- Stipule features
- NA
- Stipules
- there are no stipules on the plant
-
Place
- Habitat
- aquatic
- New England state
-
- Connecticut
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- Specific habitat
-
- in lakes or ponds
- shores of rivers or lakes
- swamps
-
Stem, shoot, branch
- Branched tendrils
- NA
- Hair between stem nodes
- the stem has no hairs between the nodes
- Hairs between stem nodes
- the stem has no hairs between the nodes
- Leaves on stem
- there is at least one full leaf above the base of the flowering stem
- Plant height
- 10–20 cm
- Stem roughness between nodes
- the stem does not feel rough
- Tendril origin
- NA
- Tendrils
- the plant does not have tendrils
Wetland status
Occurs only in wetlands. (Wetland indicator code: OBL)
New England distribution and conservation status
Distribution
- Connecticut
- present
- Maine
- present
- Massachusetts
- present
- New Hampshire
- present
- Rhode Island
- present
- Vermont
- present
Conservation status
Exact status definitions can vary from state to state. For details, please check with your state.
- Massachusetts
- unranked (S-rank: SNR)
Native to North America?
Yes
Sometimes confused with
- Callitriche heterophylla:
- fruit essentially as wide as long, lacking thin wings along the margins of each half (vs. C. palustris, with fruit slightly longer than wide, with thin wings along the margins of each half).
Synonyms
- Callitriche palustris L. var. verna (L.) Fenley ex Jepson
- Callitriche verna L.
Family
Genus
From the dichotomous key of Flora Novae Angliae
3. Callitriche palustris L. N
vernal water-starwort. Callitriche palustris L. var. verna (L.) Fenley ex Jepson; C. verna L. • CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT. Shallow, still or slow-moving water of rivers, lakes, and pools, sometimes becoming amphibious as water level declines and then found on shorelines and in wet depressions.