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

Callitriche marginata Torr.
winged water-starwort
Plantaginaceae (Mare's-tail family)
(Previously in Callitrichaceae)

Introduction to Vascular Plants

General:
Aquatic or semi-aquatic perennial rooting in mud; stems matted, very slender, 5-10 cm long, leaf-bases joined by a tiny, winged ridge.

Leaves:
All opposite; submerged leaves linear, single-nerved, very slightly notched terminally; emergent leaves wider, incompletely 3-nerved.

Flowers:
Inflorescence of tiny, inconspicuous flowers borne without bracts or with tiny, brown, linear bracts; female flowers with distinct stalks, much longer than the fruits; styles sharply reflexed.

Fruits:
Achene-like, 4, each 1-seeded, conspicuously wing-margined, oval, irregularly pitted in a fine network.

Source: The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

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

Origin Status	Provincial Status	BC List (Red Blue List)	COSEWIC
Native	S3S4	Yellow	Not Listed

BC Ministry of Environment: BC Species and Ecosystems Explorer.

There are five Callitriche species in southern B.C. that may be confused with C. marginata: C. anceps, C. hermatophroditica, C. heterophylla ssp. bolanderi, C. stagnalis, and C. verna. The five species are very similar morphologically, but only C. marginata produces female flowers with distinct stalks that are longer than the fruit; styles are also sharply reflexed (Douglas et al. 1998b; M. Miller, pers. comm. 2008).

Source: British Columbia Conservation Data Centre

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