''Sparganium natans'' is a species of
bur-reed known by the common names least bur-reed
and small bur-reed.
It is a water circumboreal plant inhabiting North America, Europe, West Asia and Japan. It is usually found submersed in shallow, calm water. This bur-reed has thin, flexible, grasslike leaves which float in the water. Plants that spend more time out of water at the waterline are tougher and have shorter leaves. The plant bears two
inflorescences, the
staminate type being a rounded white filamentous ball and the
pistillate
Gynoecium (; ) is most commonly used as a collective term for the parts of a flower that produce ovules and ultimately develop into the fruit and seeds. The gynoecium is the innermost whorl of a flower; it consists of (one or more) ''pistils'' ...
type a sphere of thick, green, pointy peduncles. The fruits are small green or brown
achene
An achene (; ), also sometimes called akene and occasionally achenium or achenocarp, is a type of simple dry fruit produced by many species of flowering plants. Achenes are monocarpellate (formed from one carpel) and indehiscent (they do not ope ...
s.
References
External links
Calflora Database: ''Sparganium natans'' (Small bur reed)Jepson Manual treatment of ''Sparganium natans''UC CalPhotos gallery
natans
Freshwater plants
Grasses of Canada
Grasses of the United States
Native grasses of California
Flora of the Northeastern United States
Flora of the Western United States
Flora of the Sierra Nevada (United States)
Plants described in 1753
Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus
Flora without expected TNC conservation status
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