Shoreweed - Littorella uniflora

Description

A small stoloniferous rosette-forming plant with long narrow semi-cylindrical or flattened leaves, typically found on the the margins of lakes and reservoirs, where it can form 'lawns'.  The flowers have no petals, and are wind-pollinated, they are only produced in exposed condtions. The male flowers have 4 anthers and are borne on short stalks.  The female flowers are formed at the base of the males, and consist of several long styles.   

Identification difficulty
Recording advice

Photograph the plant in its habitat.  This is rare in VC55, and should not be collected.  If found outside its known sites, the record should be verified from a photograph or site visit from the BSBI County Recorder 

Habitat

Shallow water or marginal sand, mud, gravel etc. of nutrient-poor mesotrophic or oligotrophic water bodies, including lakes and reservoirs.

UK Status

See the BSBI Plant Atlas 2020 https://plantatlas2020.org/atlas/2cd4p9h.8t8

Leicestershire & Rutland Status

Local, rare; draw-down margins of large reservoirs and flooded quarry.  (ref. G Hall & S Woodward.  2022. Leicestershire and Rutland VC55 Rare Plant Register)

Leicestershire & Rutland Map

MAP KEY:

Yellow squares = NBN records (all known data)
Coloured circles = NatureSpot records: 2025+ | 2020-2024 | pre-2020

UK Map

Species profile

Common names
Shoreweed
Species group:
flowering plant
Kingdom:
Plantae
Order:
Lamiales
Family:
Plantaginaceae
Records on NatureSpot:
1
First record:
17/06/2026 (Timms, Sue)
Last record:
17/06/2026 (Timms, Sue)

Total records by month

% of records within its species group

10km squares with records

The latest images and records displayed below include those awaiting verification checks so we cannot guarantee that every identification is correct. Once accepted, the record displays a green tick.

In the Latest Records section, click on the header to sort A-Z, and again to sort Z-A. Use the header boxes to filter the list.

Latest images

Latest records