Alisma triviale
Northern water plantain
(c) Brandon Corder, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Alismataceae · Type: Herb · Native
Alisma triviale (Northern water plantain) is a native California herb in the Alismataceae family, recognized by white petals and truncate/lobed leaf base diagnostic.
Northern water plantain is a native perennial found in California's Central Valley and Coastal Ranges in pond habitats at elevations below 1,600 meters. Flowering from spring to fall, this plant produces white flowers with petals that appear slightly cut, arranged in an inflorescence taller than its leaves. Growing with erect stems and long, broad leaves, it reaches up to 45 centimeters tall with leaf blades 5.5 to 15 centimeters long and 1.5 to 10 centimeters wide. Its leaves are distinctively lanceolate to ovate with a truncate or slightly lobed base, emerging directly from the water. The fruit develops with thick, opaque lateral walls, characteristic of this aquatic species.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 1 sympatric species; white petals and truncate/lobed leaf base diagnostic
Habitat and range
Habitat: Ponds
Elevation: < 1600 m
California counties: Lake, Siskiyou, Ventura, Santa Clara, Plumas, Mono, Mariposa, Sonoma, Napa, Lassen, San Luis Obispo, San Mateo, Tuolumne, Kern, Mendocino, Modoc, Placer, Los Angeles, Contra Costa, Fresno, Colusa, San Bernardino, Shasta, Butte, Santa Barbara, San Diego, El Dorado, Nevada, Marin, Alameda, Monterey, Solano, Tehama, Yuba, Humboldt, Yolo, San Joaquin, Sacramento, Stanislaus, Merced, Santa Cruz, Tulare
Outside California: to Canada, southeastern United States, Eurasia, eastern Africa, maybe Australia
Bloom period
Alisma triviale blooms Spring-fall.
How to tell it apart
vs Echinodorus: Alisma fruits sit flat in a ring; burhead fruits spiral on a dome forming a bur.; vs Sagittaria: Alisma flowers have both male and female parts; arrowhead has separate male and female flowers.; vs Rumex: Alisma has three white petals and aquatic habit; dock has tiny greenish flowers and terrestrial habit.; vs Potamogeton: Alisma has three white petals above water; pondweed has tiny flowers and submerged leaves.; vs Plantago: Alisma has three distinct white petals; plantain has tiny four-part flowers in dense brown spikes.
Frequently asked questions
Is Alisma triviale native to California?
Yes. Alisma triviale is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Alisma triviale bloom?
Alisma triviale blooms Spring-fall.
Where in California does Alisma triviale grow?
Alisma triviale occurs in Lake, Siskiyou, Ventura, Santa Clara, Plumas, Mono, Mariposa, Sonoma and other counties, at elevations of < 1600 m.
What plant family does Alisma triviale belong to?
Alisma triviale is in the Alismataceae family, genus Alisma.
What habitat does Alisma triviale grow in?
Alisma triviale grows in Ponds.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.