Montana Field Guide

Short-seeded Water-wort is a tiny, glabrous annual, growing submerged or exposed, that roots freely at the nodes and forms small mats. The opposite, linear- to spatula- shaped, entire margined leaves are usually less than 1 cm long. The minute flowers are borne solitary and sessile in the leaf axils and have sepals, petals, and stamens in sets of 2 or 3, and a single pistil. The mature fruits are thin, transparent walled, 2 or 3 celled capsules the size of a pin head. The seeds are regularly reticulate with 10-15 pits in each of 6-8 longitudinal rows.

Fruit mature in late August-October.

Distinguished from other Montana Elatine species by having sessile, 2-3 chambered capsules that contain short, only slightly curved seeds with relatively few reticulations per row. A compound microscope and technical key are needed for positive identification.

Shallow waters, shores and mudflats of lakes and ponds in valleys.