Menu list goes here

Herbal Database Search Results

Back to: Pathways Main Search Page For Metaphysical uses visit The Witchs Haven

Callitriche hermaphroditica

Common name:	Water Starwort	Family:	Callitrichaceae
Author:	L.	Botanical references:	17, 200
Synonyms:	Callitriche autumnalis (L.)
Known Hazards:	None known
Range:	Most of Europe, including Britain, north to Finland and N. E. Russia.
Habitat:	Ponds and lakes to 380 metres in Yorkshire[17].
Edibility Rating (1-5):	0	Medicinal Rating (1-5):	0

Other Common Names:	From various places around the Web, may not be correct. See below.
	Autumn Water-starwort [B], Autumnal Water-starwort [L], Northern Waterstarwort [P], Rond Sterrenkroos [D],
Epithets:	From a Dictionary of Botanical Epithets
	hermaphroditica = hermaphrodite
Systematics:	From a USDA Plants Database
	Order: Callitrichales. Water-starwort family

Physical Characteristics

An evergreen perennial. It is hardy to zone 6. It is in leaf all year, in flower from May to September. The flowers are monoecious (individual flowers are either male or female, but both sexes can be found on the same plant) and are pollinated by Water. It is noted for attracting wildlife. We rate it 0/5 for edibility and 0/5 for medicinal use.

The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It can grow in water.

Habitats and Possible Locations

Pond.

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal Uses

Disclaimer

None known

Other Uses

None known

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].

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.

Suppliers

For more details of plant suppliers please see our Suppliers Page which lists many more places to look.

Web References

[B] Data (Latin & Common names, other references) from the BONAP's Synonymized Checklist of the Vascular Flora of the United States, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.
[C] Taxon data. from the CalFlora database.
[P] Data. (uses, distribution, wetland) from the USDA'a Plants database.
[HP] Links, Photos, Suppliers from Hortiplex Plant Database

References for the family Callitrichaceae.

To be included in the Flora of China.

See the PFAF Links Pages for other sources.

Also try Photos and info from the The Plants Database which has 14,000 images.

References

[1] F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).

[17] Clapham, Tootin and Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press 1962
A very comprehensive flora, the standard reference book but it has no pictures.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

Readers Comments

Back to: Pathways Home page, Main Search Page Help Bibliography

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future - Species Database. Copyright (c) 1997-2003.
WEB search engine by Rich Morris - Home Page- Contact Info
Blagdon Cross, Ashwater, Beaworthy, Devon, EX21 5DF, UK.
Website: www.pfaf.org Phone: 0845 458 4719/_44(0) 1208 872963

This page (UK) http://www.comp.leeds.ac.uk/cgi-bin/pfaf/arr_html?Callitriche+hermaphroditica
This page (US) http://www.ibiblio.org/pfaf/cgi-bin/arr_html?Callitriche+hermaphroditica

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License.
(You can copy, distribute, display this works but: Attribution is required, its for Non-Commercial purposes, and it's Share Alike (GNUish/copyleft) i.e. has an identical license.)
We also ask that you let us know (michael@thewitchshaven.com) if you link to, redistribute, make a derived work or do anything groovy with this information.

Pathways Home :: View Cart :: Shipping & Returns :: Contact Us :: Privacy Policy :: Philosophy :: The Witchs Haven

We make no claims of magical effects or supernatural powers for any item in this catalog. In spite of legendary attributes or occult and craft tradition, such items are offered as curios only and beliefs concerning their magical effectiveness are related only for historical interest.