narrow-leaved water-plantain (narrowleaf water plantain)
Alismataceae (Water-plantain family)
Introduction to Vascular Plants
Species Information
General:
Perennial aquatic herb from a corm-like stem-base and a fibrous root; stems 5-50 cm tall.
Leaves:
All basal, linear, essentially bladeless to long-stalked with narrowly lanceolate blades, from submerged or floating to completely emergent, 3-40 cm long, 0.8-2 cm wide.
Flowers:
Inflorescence an open, bracteate panicle of long-stalked flowers; petals pink or white, slightly longer than the sepals; sepals mostly purple-margined, 2.5-3.5 mm long.
Fruits:
Achenes, 5-20, oblong, about 2 mm wide.
Notes:
The taxonomy of this species is extremely complex. At present we are recognizing a single taxon. For a discussion of the nomenclatural problems in this species see Reveal (1977).
Illustration
If more than one illustration is available for a species (e.g., separate illustrations were provided for two subspecies) then links to the separate images will be provided below. Note that individual subspecies or varietal illustrations are not always available.
Illustration Source: The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia
USDA Species Characteristics
Flower Colour:
White
Blooming Period:
Mid Summer
Fruit/Seed characteristics:
Colour: Brown
Present over the Summer
Source: The USDA
Ecology
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 |
||
|
Avg |
Min |
Max |
|
| Elevation
(metres) |
1174 | 1174 | 1174 |
| Slope
Gradient (%) |
0 | 0 | 0 |
|
Aspect (degrees) |
0 | ||
| Soil
Moisture Regime (SMR) [0 - very xeric; 4 - mesic; 8 - hydric] |
7 | 7 | 7 |
| Modal
Nutrient Regime
Class |
D | ||
| #
of field plots species was recorded in: |
1 | ||
| Modal
BEC Zone Class |
IDF | ||
|
All BEC Zones (# of stations/zone) species was recorded in |
IDF(1) | ||
|
Source:
Klinkenberg 2013
|
|||
Habitat and Range
Lakeshores, rivers, marshes and tidal flats in the lowland, steppe and montane zones; infrequent in S BC; circumpolar, E to S PQ and S to NY, NM, AZ and N CA; Eurasia.Status Information
Synonyms
Synonyms and Alternate Names:
Alisma geyeri Torr.
Alisma gramineum var. angustissimum (DC.) A.J. Hendricks
Alisma gramineum var. geyeri (Torr.) Lam.
Alisma gramineum var. gramineum
Alisma gramineum var. graminifolium (Wahlenb.) Hendricks
Alisma gramineum var. wahlenbergii auct. non (Holmb.) Raymond & Kucyniak [misapplied]
Taxonomic Keys
1. Leaf blades broadly lanceolate to egg-shaped; petals usually white.............Alisma triviale
1. Leaf blades linear, lanceolate or narrowly lanceolate; petals pink, pinkish or white. 2. Inflorescence overtopping the leaves; petals 4.5-6.5 mm long, pink or sometimes purplish-pink..............Alisma lanceolatum 2. Inflorescence usually not overtopping the leaves; petals 2.5-3.5 mm long, pink or white.........Alisma gramineum Source: The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia |