Elatine sp.
Waterwort, Waterwort
(c) Игорь Васильев, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Игорь Васильев · licence
Family: Elatinaceae · Type: Perennial · Variable; species dependent
Elatine sp. (Waterwort) is a non-native California perennial in the Elatinaceae family.
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 sp. native to California?
No. Elatine sp. is not native to California (recorded as variable; species dependent).
What plant family does Elatine sp. belong to?
Elatine sp. is in the Elatinaceae family, genus Elatine.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Elatine ambigua — Asian waterwort
- Elatine brachysperma — Short seed waterwort
- Elatine californica — California waterwort
- Elatine chilensis — Chilean waterwort
- Elatine heterandra — Mosquito waterwort
- Elatine rubella — Southwestern waterwort
- Bergia sp. — Waterfire
- Bergia texana — Texas bergia
- Elatinaceae sp. — Waterwort family
Sources: Jepson eFlora · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-04-14
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.