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damasonium

Scientific Name: Damasonium

Family: Alismataceae

Category: Monocot

Growth:

Duration:

Other Names:

       

Starfruit (Damasonium spp.)

Damasonium is a genus comprising six species of flowering plants belonging to the Alismataceae family. These plants are commonly known as starfruit, and historically, they were also referred to as thrumwort.

Considerations for Pets

  • Some species have small parts (seeds) that animals may try to ingest.

Considerations for Children

  • Some species have small parts (seeds) that children may try to ingest.

Taxonomy and Nomenclature

  • Scientific Name: Damasonium spp.
  • Family: Alismataceae (Water-plantain family)
  • The genus was first described by Miller in 1754.
  • Synonyms:
    • Machaerocarpus (for Damasonium californicum)
  • Some sources recognize subspecies within the genus Damasonium, though others consider it a single variable species.

Distribution and Habitat

  • Damasonium alisma is native to parts of Great Britain and France.
  • Damasonium californicum is native to California and found slightly beyond its borders.
  • Damasonium minus inhabits all states of mainland Australia except the Northern Territory.
  • These plants typically grow on acidic mud near small ponds where water levels fluctuate and grazing animals maintain open habitat.

Morphological Characteristics

  • Damasonium alisma is an annual or perennial, growing up to 0.3 meters (1 foot) in height, and it flowers from June to August.
  • Damasonium minus is an erect, emergent annual or short-lived perennial reaching up to 1 meter high, featuring both floating and emergent leaves.

Ecological Role

  • Clearance of woodland has resulted in the loss of many sites for C. damasonium.
  • Damasonium alisma is listed as vulnerable to extinction globally, highlighting its rarity and decline.

Quirky Facts

  • The name "damasonium" was first used by Pliny, referring to an unidentified plant.

Further Information

  • ARKive (for photos and facts about Starfruit)
  • The International Plant Names Index
  • PlantNET (for Damasonium minus)
  • UK Biodiversity Action Plan (for Damasonium alisma)
  • Baseflor (Fiche descriptive de Damasonium alisma)