Native Plants

Plant Database

Search for native plants by scientific name, common name or family. If you are not sure what you are looking for, try the Combination Search or our Recommended Species lists.

Enter a Plant Name:
Or you can choose a plant family:

Damasonium californicum

Damasonium californicum Torr. ex Benth.

California Damsonium, Fringed Water Plantain

Alismataceae (Water-Plantain Family)

Synonym(s): Machaerocarpus californicus

USDA Symbol: DACA12

USDA Native Status: L48 (N)

Several basal leaves and 1 or few flower stalks with white or pink, fringed flowers often in clusters on whorled branches. This was once considered the sole species in a small western American genus, Machaerocarpus. It has now been placed in a wide-ranging but still small genus, which also occurs in Eurasia and Australia.

Members of the Water-Plantain Family grow in water, in swamps, on muddy banks, or occasionally in wet sand. Each plant has long-petioled leaves in a clump with a flowering stem rising among them. The flowers have 3 green sepals, 3 white or pink-tinged petals, 6 or more stamens, and several pistils. Stamens and pistils may be in separate flowers.

From the Image Gallery

No images of this plant

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Herb
Fruit Type: Achene
Size Notes: Up to about 14 inches tall.
Leaf: Green

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: White , Yellow
Bloom Time: Apr , May , Jun , Jul , Aug

Distribution

USA: CA , ID , NV , OR , WA
Native Distribution: Northern half of California and adjacent regions of Oregon and Nevada east to southwestern Idaho.
Native Habitat: Shallow water or mud in open areas.

Growing Conditions

Water Use: High
Light Requirement: Sun
CaCO3 Tolerance: Medium

Benefit

Conspicuous Flowers: yes

National Wetland Indicator Status

Region:	AGCP	AK	AW	CB	EMP	GP	HI	MW	NCNE	WMVE
Status:			OBL							OBL

This information is derived from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers National Wetland Plant List, Version 3.1 (Lichvar, R.W. 2013. The National Wetland Plant List: 2013 wetland ratings. Phytoneuron 2013-49: 1-241). Click here for map of regions.

Web Reference

Webref 30 - Calflora (2018) Calflora
Webref 38 - Flora of North America (2019) Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.
Webref 23 - Southwest Environmental Information Network (2009) SEINet - Arizona Chapter

Additional resources

USDA: Find Damasonium californicum in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Damasonium californicum in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Damasonium californicum

Metadata

Record Modified: 2023-06-05
Research By: TWC Staff

Go back