CALLITRICHE VERNA L.

Vernal Water-starwort

 

 

FAMILY: Callitrichaceae

SYNONYMS:   Callitriche verna L. emend. Kuetz.

Callitriche palustris L.

HABIT: Aquatic perennial herb; flowering April-November; fruiting May- November. Fruits usually present on well-developed plants.

SIMILAR SPECIES: Callitriche verna is very similar to and easily confused with other members of this genus. It is distinguished by critical examination of fruit characters.

TOTAL RANGE: Greenl. and Lab. to AK, s. to Nfld., N.S., MA, w. VA, WV, OH, MI, IL, MN, NE, NM, AZ, and CA; also in Eurasia.

STATE RANGE: There are post-1960 collections from 6 counties: Ashtabula, Carroll, Geauga, Jackson, Trumbull, and Wayne. Pre-1960 records exist from Lorain County.

STATE STATUS: 1980 to present: Threatened.

HABITAT: In shallow quiet water or on muddy shores.

HAZARDS: Drainage or other alteration of the wetland habitat.

RECOVERY POTENTIAL: Unknown, possibly poor due to pollution or alteration of its native habitat.

INVENTORY GUIDELINES: Mature fruiting material is necessary for positive identification.

COMMENTS: It is likely that this species is more frequent in Ohio than current records indicate. It is easily misidentified and could easily be overlooked due to its small size and the difficulty of collecting it in its wetland habitat. It should be sought throughout Ohio, especially in the northern half of the state.
Some authors refer to this plant as Callitriche palustris (see Synonyms). However, most recent authors, including Fassett (1951), treat it as C. verna.

SELECTED REFERENCES:

 

Fassett, N.C. 1951. Callitriche in the new world. Rhodora 53: 137-155, 161-182, 209-221.

 

Division of Natural Areas and Preserves

Ohio Department of Natural Resources

 

Created: 1/1984 JAMES BURNS

Database Code: SPNJ.894