Alisma lanceolatum

Lanceleaf water plantain

Family: Alismataceae · Type: perennial · Not Native

Lanceleaf water plantain is a naturalized perennial found in northwestern California, northern Sierra Nevada foothills, and Sacramento Valley in ponds, rice fields, and slow streams at elevations below 500 meters. Flowering from summer to fall, this plant produces distinctive pink flowers with petals that are partially cut. Growing with long leaves 12 to 40 centimeters in length, it has lanceolate blades 6 to 12 centimeters long and 1 to 3 centimeters wide that taper at the base. Its inflorescence typically grows taller than the leaves, with pedicels ascending to erect. The fruits have thin, translucent lateral walls, contributing to the plant's delicate appearance.

Habitat: Ponds, rice fields, slow streams

Bloom period: Summer-fall

Elevation: < 500 m

Bioregions: NW, n SNF, ScV

California counties: Sonoma, Butte, Shasta, Los Angeles, Sutter, Nevada, Colusa, Marin, Placer, Solano, Tehama, Yuba, Mendocino, Lassen, Contra Costa, Yolo

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.