Anyone know what this is? - Plant ID

**davemonkey** · 04-20-2012, 09:00 AM

Definitely a wetland plant. Not 100% sure that all this growth is submersed, but this was found in a mat, no more than 2" tall, in 1"-6" of water in a well-established wetland in SE Texas. The people at the site wanted to call it a Lindernia. The pic with the ruler will give you an idea of the small size of this stem plant. Small buttons are what I am assuming to be the fruit capsule. It "almost" has a fuzzy appearance...but I'm not going to say for sure...I'll give it a look under a lense when I get a chance next week.

Cavan Allen · 04-20-2012, 12:22 PM

Looks like an Elatine.

**davemonkey** · 04-20-2012, 01:13 PM

Hmm...I looked at Elatine and it looks similar to E. brachysperma or E. minima...except I have no idea what the flowers looked like. Since it's already set fruit (and I believe these are annuals) I suppose I need to let them dry up so the seed can mature. I doubt the stems I took pics of will live much longer since the process has already begun?

The only thing is that minima is supposed to be much farther North...so I don't think that's what I found.
http://www.rook.org/earl/bwca/nature...latinemin.html

asukawashere · 04-20-2012, 07:13 PM

You might be able to use the fruit itself to get an ID if you can find a reference to compare to. It'd be quicker than waiting to grow and flower a new plant.

Definitely not a Lindernia, though - the fruit is all wrong. Cavan's almost certainly right to call it an Elatine.

mudboots · 04-20-2012, 08:34 PM

I have a key in my office with some descriptions on that genus; send some pics of the goodies if you are able and when I get back from the southeast I can take a look.

Lakeplants · 04-21-2012, 03:11 PM

It definitely looks like an Elatine sp. It doesn't look like E. minima, which is a more northern species.

**davemonkey** · 04-24-2012, 07:23 AM

Thanks guys. I'll see if I can get some pics through a lens of the fruit and maybe some seeds. I wouldn't bet on it though...the camera I have for use at the office is not that great at macro-shots. Stay tuned...

**davemonkey** · 04-24-2012, 07:57 AM

The camera has a decent zoom afterall. The fruit is right at 1/16th of an inch. That's the only measurement I can take with my crude tools. The lens I an taking the pics through is a 10x and the camera has a "30xOptical zoom" but I have no idea what "x" you are looking at in these pics because I also cropped them a bit. If you click on each picture, you can zoom just a hair tighter.

Side view of fruit

Frontal/top view of fruit

Fruit split open with detail of seeds

Just a bit closer view of the seeds

**AaronT** · 04-24-2012, 06:12 PM

That's definitely an Elatine. Elatine have those comma shaped seeds like that.

My guess would be Elatine brachysperma. Was there more than just that little bit?

**davemonkey** · 04-25-2012, 12:17 PM

I believe it is E. brachysperma as well based on the overall size, the leaves, and the fruits/seeds. Mudboots has a good key and said he'd key it out when he gets back from his trip.
and the location (Southern US).
There was a decent amount...I'd guess about a 15 sq.ft. mat in a couple spots (all together) with a few straglers here and there. I knew I'd be out most of the day so I only took a tiny bit in case I were to kill it all.

My concern is that it may be on its way to death since it has already begun seeding...but I have read that this may not be the case. Anyone experienced with this one?