Fauna
Plant · GBIF taxon 7925728

Antarctic Water-starwort

Callitriche antarctica

Antarctic water-starwort blankets damp ground and shallow meltwater pools across wind-battered subantarctic islands, forming dense, spongy green carpets. The slender, creeping stems root freely at leaf nodes, helping anchor the plant in loose peaty mud and saturated soils enriched by seabird guano. Tiny solitary flowers emerge from the leaf axils, self-pollinating effectively even when submerged or battered by freezing subantarctic gales.

SubantarcticAquaticCushion Plant
Antarctic Water-starwort reference1 / 7
Licensed reference(c) Julia Palmer, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Not EvaluatedConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXNot Evaluated — not placed on the risk ladderRed List categories, explained →
Key facts
Diet & prey
  • Autotrophic (photosynthetic)
Predators
  • Subantarctic ducks
  • Introduced rabbits
  • Introduced reindeer
ThreatsHabitat trampling by non-native herbivores, invasive plant competition, and climate warming
HabitatsTussock grassland mires, coastal seepage zones, stream margins, and shallow ponds
Life spanPerennial
Classification
  1. FamilyPlantaginaceae
  2. SpeciesCallitriche antarctica
Range & activity
Range data is not available yet.
Safe observation
Interaction riskLow
  1. Low
  2. Moderate
  3. High
  4. Very high
Why interaction risk is low
Safe to observe at a normal distance.
Responsible observation
  • Tread carefully: Fragile subantarctic wetland mats are easily damaged by foot traffic.
  • Look near water: Search boggy depressions and coastal tarns where moisture persists year-round.
Related species
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