Pilularia sp.
(c) Thomas Gyselinck, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Thomas Gyselinck · licence
Family: Marsileaceae · Type: Perennial · Native
Pilularia sp. is a native California perennial in the Marsileaceae family.
How to tell it apart
vs Marsilea: Pilularia has simple grass-like blades, not Marsilea's distinctive four-part clover leaves.; vs Juncus: Look for the hard, round pill-like sporangium cases at leaf bases - rushes lack these.; vs Subularia: Pilularia leaves uncoil at tips like fiddleheads and have pill-like cases at the base.; vs Triglochin: Check for the spherical pill-like cases at leaf bases - arrow-grass lacks these structures.; vs Isoetes: Pilularia leaves uncoil from coiled tips; quillwort leaves emerge straight from a bulb-like base.
Frequently asked questions
Is Pilularia sp. native to California?
Yes. Pilularia sp. is native to California (recorded as native).
What plant family does Pilularia sp. belong to?
Pilularia sp. is in the Marsileaceae family, genus Pilularia.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
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.