Limosella acaulis

Broad leaved mudwort

Family: Scrophulariaceae · Type: annual · Native

Broad leaved mudwort is a California native annual found in the Klamath Ranges, Sierra Nevada, Great Valley, Central Western, Southwestern, and Great Basin regions in wet, muddy freshwater habitats at elevations below 3,300 meters. Flowering from May to October, this plant produces white to lavender flowers about 2 to 3 millimeters long with rounded lobes. Growing as a mat-forming species with cespitose habit, it spreads in low, dense clusters across wet ground. Its leaves are flat, linear to slightly spoon-shaped, typically 1 to 6 centimeters long and 0.5 to 2 millimeters wide, with distinctive ear-shaped transparent stipules. The fruit is spherical, measuring 3 to 5 millimeters in diameter.

Habitat: Wet, muddy places, generally fresh water

Bloom period: May-Oct

Elevation: < 3300 m

Bioregions: KR, SNH, GV, CW, SW, GB

California counties: Los Angeles, San Diego, Sonoma, Fresno, San Bernardino, Riverside, Lassen, San Mateo, Mono, Modoc, Stanislaus, Santa Clara, Inyo, Monterey, San Luis Obispo, Amador, Placer, Yolo, Marin, Sacramento, Solano, Merced, Plumas, Butte, Tehama, Yuba, Nevada, Colusa, Napa, Alameda, Contra Costa, Madera, Shasta, Sutter, San Joaquin, San Francisco, Tuolumne, Sierra, Santa Cruz, San Benito

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