Callitriche hermaphroditica - Water Starwort

Family:	Callitrichaceae
Habit:	Perennial
Synonyms:	C. autumnalis. L.
Range:	Most of Europe, including Britain, north to Finland and N. E. Russia.

Callitriche hermaphroditica (Water Starwort) is a Perennial. It has a hardness rating of 6.
Water Starwort will flower in November to March. The flowers from this plant are monoecious (both sexes are found on the plant but each flower is either male or female) and they are pollinated by Water

Soil Information

Water Starwort will grow in light (sandy),medium (loamy),hard (clay) soil. It is not necessary for the soil to be well drained.
The soil prefers the following PH / acid levels :
- pH of less than 6, Acidic soils
- pH between 6 and 8, Neutral soils
- pH greater than 8, Basic soils
Water Starwort prefers soils

Ideal Planting Locations

Water Starwort should not be planted in shady areas.

Ponds and lakes to 380m in Yorkshire[17].

Planting places suited to this plant described below.

• Is a pond plant

Cultivation Details

A water plant, it should be allowed to root into the soil at the bottom of the pond or be grown in a pot in the pond[200]. This species is an excellent oxygenator of the water and a good food source for fish[1, 200]. It provides a good habitat for wildlife in the pond, the leaves holding spawn well[1]. This species belongs to one of only two known dicot genera where pollination taks place under water[274]. Plants remain active all winter[1].

Edible Uses*

* See disclaimer
Edible Rating: 0/5
None known

Medicinal Uses*

* See disclaimer
Medicinal Rating: 0/5
None known

Propagation

Seed - we have no details on this species but would suggest that the seed will be best sown in a greenhouse as soon as it is ripe in a pot standing in about 5cm of water. It is quite likely that the seed has a short viability, especially if it is allowed to become dry. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in trays of water in the greenhouse for at least their first winter, planting them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Cuttings can be taken at any time in the growing season. They root easily, even if just placed in a pot of water.

Known Hazards

None known

Other Uses

None known

Cultivars

no recorded cultivars

References

Flora of the British Isles.
Clapham, Tootin and Warburg.
Author: Clapham, Tootin and Warburg.
Rating:
Publisher : A very comprehensive flora, the standard reference book but it has no pictures.
Date of Publication : 1962

The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
Huxley. A.
Author: Huxley. A.
Rating:
Publisher : Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
Date of Publication : 1992

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