Water-starworts
What are they?
Water-starworts are rather uninspiring little plants with insignificant greenish flowers. They are small annual plants, germinating in spring and growing rapidly to form dense, low mats of vegetation.
Where are they found?
Typically they grow either as terrestrial plants in seasonally flooded ground, or as aquatics or semi-aquatics in shallow water. Plants on wet mud grow in low mats while aquatic plants grow to the surface and become trailing.
Identification
Often a difficult group to identify but there is only two species in Cape May County to be concerned with. The two species can be readily identified by their growth style and by checking the fruiting bodies.
Terrestrial Water-starwort Callitriche terrestris
An uncommon plant of wet mud on the edges of swamps and other seasonally flooded areas. Flowers late May to July. Almost always found as a terrestrial species, hugging the ground in a low mat.
| |
|
| |
|