Limosella aquatica is a widespread species of flowering plant in the figwort family known by the common name water mudwort. It is native to much of the temperate world, where it grows in many types of wet habitat. It is semiaquatic, growing in moist land habitat such as meadows, in mud and wet sand next to water, and partly submersed or floating in the water. It is a fleshy annual herb forming low tufts in muddy substrate. The leaf is made up of a petiole up to long but usually quite a bit shorter, tipped with a flat spoon-shaped blade up to long. The inflorescence is an erect stalk bearing one tiny white to pink- or blue-tinted flower about wide. The fruit is a capsule up to wide containing many tiny seeds.
Taxonomy Limosella aquatica was given its scientific name in 1753 by Carl Linnaeus. It is part of the genus Limosella which is classified in the Scrophulariaceae family. It has two accepted varieties.
Limosella aquatica var. alismoides – Native to Angola Limosella aquatica var. aquatica – Widespread in the Northern Hemisphere and in Ecuador and Peru in South America
It has synonyms, one of the species and 16 of variety aquatica.
Table of Synonyms Name Year Rank Synonym of: Notes Danubiunculus acaulis 1849 species var. aquatica = het. Limosella americana f. submersa 1934 form var. aquatica = het. Limosella aquatica var. biflora 1812 variety var. aquatica = het. Limosella aquatica var. diandra 1820 variety var. aquatica = het. Limosella aquatica var. minor 1832 variety var. aquatica = het., nom. superfl. Limosella aquatica var. tenuifolia 1812 variety var. aquatica = het. Limosella aquatica var. vulgaris 1820 variety var. aquatica = het. Limosella aquatica var. vulgaris 1820 variety var. aquatica = het. Limosella borealis 1847 species var. aquatica = het. Limosella diandra 1790 species var. aquatica = het., nom. illeg., homonym Limosella natans 1847 species var. aquatica = het., nom. nud. Limosella palustris 1771 species var. aquatica = het. Limosella plantaginis-folia 1782 species var. aquatica = het., opus utique oppr. Limosella pubiflora 1940 species var. aquatica = het. Limosella tenuifolia 1804 species var. aquatica = het. Mutafinia silesiaca 1838 species var. aquatica = het. Plantaginella aquatica 1794 species L. aquatica ≡ hom. Notes: ≡ homotypic synonym; = heterotypic synonym
References
External links Jepson Manual Treatment Photo gallery