Hippuris vulgaris

Common mare's tail

Family: Plantaginaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Common mare's tail is a native perennial found in northwestern California, the high Cascade Range, Sierra Nevada, San Francisco Bay Area, Sierra Border, San Jacinto Mountains, and Modoc Plateau in marshy springs, shallow pond margins, and wet disturbed areas at elevations up to 2,700 meters. Flowering from May to August, this plant produces small white flowers along slender green stems that emerge partially from water. Growing 30 to 60 centimeters tall with an aquatic growth habit, it has distinctive whorled leaves arranged in tight circular clusters around the stem. Its leaves are relatively short, measuring 1 to 3.5 centimeters long, and densely clustered along the stem's length. This distinctive water-dwelling plant adapts well to wet, marshy environments, emerging partially above water surfaces with its characteristic linear stems and tightly arranged leaf whorls.

Habitat: Margins of shallow ponds, springs, marshy, swampy, or wet disturbed areas

Bloom period: May-Aug

Elevation: < 2700 m

Bioregions: NW, CaRH, SN, SnFrB, SnBr, SnJt, MP

California counties: Del Norte, Plumas, Humboldt, Fresno, Tuolumne, El Dorado, San Mateo, Riverside, Colusa, Mono, Modoc, Mendocino, Sierra, Sonoma, San Bernardino, Tulare, Shasta, Alpine, Lassen, Siskiyou, San Joaquin, Placer, Madera, Inyo

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