Elatine chilensis
Chilean waterwort
Family: Elatinaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Elatine chilensis (Chilean waterwort) is a native California herb in the Elatinaceae family, recognized by distinctive high seed count and pit density.
Chilean waterwort is a California native perennial found in northern Sierra Nevada, Plumas County, and Madeline Plains in muddy pond shores at elevations of 600 to 1,700 meters. Flowering from April to September, this delicate plant produces tiny white flowers with 3 ovate petals, clustered singly or in pairs at each node. Growing with decumbent to erect stems just 0.5 to 10 centimeters tall, it forms low, compact clusters in wet habitats. Its leaves are narrow-oblong to wide-elliptic, tapering to the base with short petioles less than a quarter the length of the blade. The fruit contains 3 chambers, each holding 20 to 40 small elliptic seeds with distinctive surface pitting.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 3 sympatric species; distinctive high seed count and pit density
Habitat and range
Habitat: Muddy shores of ponds
Elevation: +- 600-1700 m.
California counties: Riverside, Los Angeles, Modoc, San Bernardino, Alpine, Lassen, Butte, Sutter, Yuba, Glenn, Plumas, Merced, Sierra, Siskiyou, San Diego, Tuolumne
Outside California: temperate South America, southern Asia (introduced in India)
Bloom period
Elatine chilensis blooms Apr-Sep.
How to tell it apart
vs Bergia: Elatine is completely smooth; Bergia feels sticky with glandular hairs.; vs Fraxinus: Elatine is a tiny aquatic herb; Fraxinus is a large tree.; vs Berberis: Elatine has thin aquatic leaves; Berberis has stiff spiny leaves on a woody shrub.; vs Vancouveria: Elatine grows in water with simple leaves; Vancouveria is terrestrial with compound leaves.; vs Floerkea: Elatine has opposite leaves; Floerkea has alternate dissected leaves.
Frequently asked questions
Is Elatine chilensis native to California?
Yes. Elatine chilensis is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Elatine chilensis bloom?
Elatine chilensis blooms Apr-Sep.
Where in California does Elatine chilensis grow?
Elatine chilensis occurs in Riverside, Los Angeles, Modoc, San Bernardino, Alpine, Lassen, Butte, Sutter and other counties, at elevations of +- 600-1700 m..
What plant family does Elatine chilensis belong to?
Elatine chilensis is in the Elatinaceae family, genus Elatine.
What habitat does Elatine chilensis grow in?
Elatine chilensis grows in Muddy shores of 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.