Littorella americana
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Littorella americana | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Littorella americana line drawing | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Lamiales |
| Family: | Plantaginaceae |
| Genus: | Littorella |
| Species: | L. americana |
| Binomial name | |
| Littorella americana Fernald[1] | |
| Synonyms[2] | |
| |
Littorella americana Is a species of flowering plant commonly called American shore plantain. It is a small aquatic plant native to Newfoundland and Nova Scotia to Minnesota.
Littorella americana Is a monoecious (having separate male and female flowers on the same plant) perennial growing from thin annual stolons and rhizomes. The leaves are stiff with an arching habit, they are rounded in cross section. The flowers are wind pollinated (anemophilous). Plants have a single, staminate flower, produced on top of a bare pedicel (stems that hold flowers) up to 4.0 cm (1.6 in.) long.[3] The staminate flower has four sepals and four anthers which have long thin filaments.[4] The sessile, pistillate flowers are produced around the base of the plant, they have long stigmatic styles. Flowering occurs when the plants are exposed by low water levels.[3]The unilocular ovaries produce small nuts, but clonal plants rarely produce fruits, apparently being self incompatible.[3]
