Crassula aquatica

Aquatic pygmy weed

Family: Crassulaceae · Type: annual · Native

Aquatic pygmy weed is a native annual found in coastal, California Range, Sierra Nevada, Central Valley, Central Western, and Southwestern California bioregions in salt marshes, vernal pools, and lake margins at elevations below 3,000 meters. Flowering from March to June, this small plant produces tiny white or pinkish flowers less than 2 millimeters long at each stem node. Growing with decumbent stems that root at nodes and branch at the base, the plant forms low, spreading clusters typically 5 to 10 centimeters wide. Its leaves are small and narrow, measuring 2 to 6 millimeters long, with oblanceolate to linear shapes and acute tips. When stranded in drying habitats, the plant can grow more upright, developing compact clusters of minute flowers and seeds.

Habitat: Salt marshes, vernal pools, margins of lakes, ponds

Bloom period: Mar-Jun(Aug)

Elevation: < 3000 m

Bioregions: NCo, CaRF, SNF, GV, CW, SW (exc n ChI)

California counties: San Luis Obispo, Riverside, Humboldt, Santa Cruz, Ventura, Fresno, San Diego, Orange, Plumas, Modoc, Contra Costa, Lake, Monterey, San Mateo, Los Angeles, Alameda, Santa Clara, Sonoma, Amador, Calaveras, Glenn, Madera, Marin, Mendocino, Nevada, Sacramento, Tulare, San Francisco, San Joaquin, Santa Barbara, Sutter, Butte, Merced, Tehama, Yuba, Lassen, Napa, Stanislaus, San Benito, Kern, Mono, Solano, Yolo, Alpine, Tuolumne

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