Elatine ambigua

Wight

Bot. Misc. 2: 103, suppl. plate 5. 1830.

Common names: Asian waterwort
WeedyIntroduced
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 12. Treatment on page 352. Mentioned on page 350.

Herbs, submersed, 1.5–4(–8) cm. Stems prostrate or erect, branched. Leaves green; stipules lanceolate, 1 mm, margins dentate, apex acute; petiole 0.1–1 mm; blade lanceolate or oblong-elliptic, 2–6 × 0.5–1.5 mm, base cuneate, apex obtuse to acute. Pedicels 0.5–2.5 mm, recurved in fruit. Flowers: sepals 3, equal, oblong-ovate or broadly lanceolate, 0.5 × 0.3 mm; petals 0 or 3, reddish, long-elliptic or ovate, 1–1.5 × 0.5 mm; stamens 3; styles 3. Capsules oblong-ovoid, 3-locular, 1 mm diam. Seeds 10 per locule, narrowly oblong, straight or curved 15–30°, 0.3 × 0.1 mm; pits obscure, round, length 1–4 times width, in 6 rows, 19–25(–30) per row.


Phenology: Flowering late spring–summer.
Habitat: Pools, marshy places, rice fields.
Elevation: 0–100 m.

Distribution

V12 914-distribution-map.jpg

Introduced; Calif., Conn., Mass., S.C., Va., s, se Asia, introduced also in Europe, s Pacific Islands, Australia.

Discussion

Elatine ambigua is a popular aquarium plant usually misidentified as E. trianda. It is also a common weed in rice fields. This species probably was introduced to California, South Carolina, and Virginia through rice farming. Its introduction to Connecticut and Massachusetts probably was through aquarium disposal or fish stocking.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.
... more about "Elatine ambigua"
Hamid Razifard +, Gordon C. Tucker +  and Donald H. Les +
Asian waterwort +
Calif. +, Conn. +, Mass. +, S.C. +, Va. +, s +, se Asia +, introduced also in Europe +, s Pacific Islands +  and Australia. +
0–100 m. +
Pools, marshy places, rice fields. +
Flowering late spring–summer. +
Weedy +  and Introduced +
Crypta +
Elatine ambigua +
species +