E-Flora BC: Electronic Atlas of the Flora of British Columbia

Ceratophyllum demersum L.
common hornwort (coon's tail; coontail)
Ceratophyllaceae (Hornwort family)

Introduction to Vascular Plants

© Royal BC Museum (Tom Armstrong)  Email the photographer   (Photo ID #2217)

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Distribution of Ceratophyllum demersum
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Species Information

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General:
Aquatic herb, usually without roots; stems freely branching, 0.3-4.0 m long.
Leaves:
Stem leaves submerged, in whorls of 5-12, 2-3 times forked into linear or threadlike segments, these often stout, stiff and spiny-toothed.
Flowers:
Inflorescence of solitary, minute, axillary flowers; petals lacking; sepals 3-15, sometimes petal-like; stamens 12-16.
Fruits:
Achenes usually lacking, if present then much flattened, 4-6 mm long, ellipsoid, wingless with a persistent style and 2 basal spines.

Source: The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

USDA Species Characteristics

Flower Colour:
Blue
Blooming Period:
Summer
Fruit/Seed characteristics:
Colour: White
Present from Summer to Fall
Source:  The USDA

Habitat / Range

Ponds, lakes and slow-moving streams in the lowland, steppe and montane zones; common in S BC, less frequent northwards; N to AK, YT and NT, E to PQ, NS and NB and S to FL, TX, CA and MX.

Source: The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Ecology

Ecological Framework for Ceratophyllum demersum

The table below shows the species-specific information calculated from
original data (BEC database) provided by the BC Ministry of Forests and Range.
(Updated August, 2013)
Site Information
 Value / Class

Minimum

Average

Maximum
Elevation (metres) 840 1067 1118
Slope Gradient (%) 0 0 1
Aspect (degrees)
[0 - N; 90 - E; 180 - S; 270 - W] 		301 300 301
Soil Moisture Regime (SMR)
[0 - very xeric; 4 - mesic;
8 - hydric] 		7 7 8
Modal Nutrient Regime
Class		 B
Number of field plots
 species was recorded in:		 14
Modal BEC Zone Class
 SBPS
All BEC Zones (# of stations/zone) species was recorded in: CDF(3), CWH(2), ICH(1), IDF(1), SBPS(7)

Climate

The climate type for this species, as reported in the: "British Columbia plant species codes and selected attributes. Version 6 Database" (Meidinger et al. 2008), is not evaluated, unknown or variable.

Synonyms and Alternate Names

Ceratophyllum apiculatum Cham.
Ceratophyllum demersum var. apiculatum (Cham.) Asch.
Ceratophyllum demersum var. apiculatum (Cham.) Garcke

Taxonomic and Nomenclatural Links

Flora North America treatment for Ceratophyllaceae
 Flora North America treatment for Ceratophyllum demersum
Genetic information (NCBI Taxonomy Database)
 International Plant Names Index
 Taxonomic Information from the World Flora Online
 Integrated Taxonomic Information System

Additional Photo Sources

Images From CalPhoto
UT Austin's Native Plant Database
 Google Image Search
 Flickr Image Search

General References

Google Scholar Search
Family References
 General Botanical References for BC
Recommended citation: Author, Date. Page title. In Klinkenberg, Brian. (Editor) 2020. E-Flora BC: Electronic Atlas of the Plants of British Columbia [eflora.bc.ca]. Lab for Advanced Spatial Analysis, Department of Geography, University of British Columbia, Vancouver. [Accessed: 2024-11-21 11:39:17 PM ]
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