Subularia aquatica var. americana (Mulligan & Calder) Boivin
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TAXONOMY
 
Family: Brassicaceae
Genus: Subularia
 
Species Synonyms: Subularia aquatica ssp. americana Mulligan & Calder
Common Names: awlwort
American awlwort
American water awlwort
 
DISTRIBUTION
 
Canada: Yukon Territory - Mackenzie District (Northwest Territories) - southern Keewatin District (Nunavut) - Labrador, British Columbia - northern Saskatchewan - Ontario to Nova Scotia - Newfoundland
Saskatchewan: northern Saskatchewan; Lake Athabasca - Cluff Lake - Wollaston Lake
Ecoregion: Churchill River Upland, Athabasca Plain, Tazin Lake Upland, Selwyn Lake Upland
 
HABITAT
 
Saskatchewan: shallow lake bottoms, submerged
Associated species: Eleocharis acicularis, Lobelia dortmanna, Potamogeton gramineus, Ranunculus flammula var. filiformis
 
RARITY STATUS
 
Provincial Status According
to Harms (2003):
Vulnerable
Nature Conservancy Status:
G5T5 S2S3
Saskatchewan Species at
Risk Status:
None
COSEWIC Status:
None
 
Subularia aquatica var. americana is vulnerable because it is rare or uncommon in the province. This species is likely commonly overlooked because of its size and resemblance to other aquatic plants, such as Isoetes.
 
SPECIES DESCRIPTION
 
Height: 2 – 4 (-10) cm tall
Roots: fibrous
Stems: 1 – several, tufted, scapose, submersed
Leaves: basal, 1.5 – 5 cm long, narrowly linear, subterete in cross-section, margin entire
Inflorescence: raceme, 2 – 8 flowered; pedicels strongly ascending
Flowers: calyx 4-merous; corolla 4-merous, white
Fruits: silicle about 2.5 mm long, subglobose to obovate, only slightly compressed, not notched at summit, many-seeded; sepals may be persistent in fruit
 
Subularia artificially resembles a small Isoetes. Subularia has silicles instead of sporangia and fibrous roots instead of a corm-like root.