Saururus cernuus — lizard's-tail
![Plant form: Saururus cernuus. ~ By Eleanor Saulys. ~ Copyright © 2024 Eleanor Saulys. ~ sam.saulys[at]comcast.net ~ Connecticut Botanical Society - www.ct-botanical-society.org/](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com/taxon-images-1000s1000/Saururaceae/saururus-cernuus-ha-esaulys.jpg)
![Flowers: Saururus cernuus. ~ By John Lynch. ~ Copyright © 2024 New England Wild Flower Society. ~ Image Request, images[at]newenglandwild.org](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com/taxon-images-1000s1000/Saururaceae/saururus-cernuus-fl-jlynch.jpg)
![Leaves: Saururus cernuus. ~ By John Lynch. ~ Copyright © 2024 New England Wild Flower Society. ~ Image Request, images[at]newenglandwild.org](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com/taxon-images-1000s1000/Saururaceae/saururus-cernuus-le-jlynch.jpg)
![Flowers: Saururus cernuus. ~ By John Lynch. ~ Copyright © 2024 New England Wild Flower Society. ~ Image Request, images[at]newenglandwild.org](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com/taxon-images-1000s1000/Saururaceae/saururus-cernuus-fl-jlynch-b.jpg)
![Flowers: Saururus cernuus. ~ By Eleanor Saulys. ~ Copyright © 2024 Eleanor Saulys. ~ sam.saulys[at]comcast.net ~ Connecticut Botanical Society - www.ct-botanical-society.org/](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com/taxon-images-1000s1000/Saururaceae/saururus-cernuus-fl-esaulys.jpg)
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Facts
Found across the eastern, midwestern and southern parts of North America, Lizard's-tail is very rare in New England. It has been documented in Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island.
Habitat
Shores of rivers or lakes, swamps, wetland margins (edges of wetlands)
New England distribution
Adapted from BONAP data
Native: indigenous.
Non-native: introduced (intentionally or unintentionally); has become naturalized.
County documented: documented to exist in the county by evidence (herbarium specimen, photograph). Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
State documented: documented to exist in the state, but not documented to a county within the state. Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
Note: when native and non-native populations both exist in a county, only native status is shown on the map.
Found this plant? Take a photo and post a sighting.
enlargeCharacteristics
- Habitat
-
- terrestrial
- wetlands
- Flower petal color
- NA
- Leaf type
- the leaves are simple (i.e., lobed or unlobed but not separated into leaflets)
- Leaf arrangement
- alternate: there is one leaf per node along the stem
- Leaf blade edges
- the edge of the leaf blade is entire (has no teeth or lobes)
- Flower symmetry
- NA
- Number of sepals, petals or tepals
- there are no petals, sepals, or tepals in the flower, or they are not clearly present
-
Clonal plantlets
- Bulbils
- the plant does not appear to have bulbils
- Bulblets replace flowers
- there are no bulblets where the flowers are located
-
Flowers
- Anther spurs
- the anthers do not have spurs on them
- Calyx symmetry
- NA
- Cleistogamous flowers
- there are no cleistogamous flowers on the plan
- Corona lobe length
- 0 mm
- Epicalyx number of parts
- 0
- Flower description
- the flower has a superior ovary, and lacks a hypanthium
- Flower petal color
- NA
- Flower reproductive parts
- the flower has both pollen- and seed-producing parts
- Flower symmetry
- NA
- Flowers sunken into stem
- no
- Fused stamen clusters
- NA
- Horns in hoods (Asclepias)
- NA
- Hypanthium
- the flower does not have a hypanthium
- Inflorescence one-sided
- the flowers are arrayed in a spiral around the inflorescence axis or branches, or occur singly, or in several ranks
- Inner tepals (Rumex)
- NA
- Nectar spur
- the flower has no nectar spurs
- Number of sepals, petals or tepals
- there are no petals, sepals, or tepals in the flower, or they are not clearly present
- Petal and sepal arrangement
- the flower includes neither petals nor sepals
- Petal and sepal colors
- NA
- Petal appearance
- NA
- Petal hairs (Viola)
- NA
- Petal tips (Cuscuta)
- NA
- Scales inside corolla
- NA
- Sepal and petal color
- NA
- Sepal appendages
- the sepals do not have appendages on them
- Stamen attachment
- the stamens are not attached to the petals or tepals
- Staminodes
- there are no staminodes on the flower
- Umbel flower reproductive parts
- NA
- Upper lip of bilabiate corolla
- NA
-
Fruits or seeds
- Achene relative orientation
- NA
- Achene surface (Polygonum)
- NA
- Berry color
- NA
- Capsule color (Viola)
- NA
- Fruit (pyxis) dehiscence
- NA
- Fruit beak length
- anything
- Fruit features (Brassicaceae)
- NA
- Legumes (Fabaceae)
- NA
- Mericarp length
- 0 mm
- Mericarp segment shape (Desmodium)
- NA
- Other markings on berry
- NA
- Rows of seeds in fruit (Brassicaceae)
- NA
- Schizocarpic fruit compression
- NA
- Schizocarpic fruit segments
- 0
- Septum in fruit (Brassicaceae)
- NA
- Wings on fruit
- the fruit does not have wings on it
- prickles on fruits
- the fruits do not have thorn-like defensive structures
-
Glands or sap
- Glands on leaf blade
- the leaf blades do not have glandular dots or scales
- Sap
- the sap is clear and watery
- Sap color
- the sap is clear
-
Growth form
- Parasitism
- the plant is not parasitic
- Plant color
- the leaves or young stems of the plant are green
- Plants darken when dry
- no
- Spines on plant
- the plant has no spines
-
Leaves
- Bracteole number (Apiaceae)
- 0
- Bracts in plantain (Plantago)
- NA
- Final leaf segment length (compound lvs only)
- 0 mm
- Final leaf segment length to width ratio (compound lvs only)
- 0
- Leaf arrangement
- alternate: there is one leaf per node along the stem
- Leaf blade edges
- the edge of the leaf blade is entire (has no teeth or lobes)
- Leaf blade surface colors
- the upper side of the leaf blade is relatively uniform in color
- Leaf duration
- the leaves drop off in winter (or they whither but persist on the plant)
- Leaf form
- the leaves are green, with an expanded blade and a leaf-like texture
- Leaf spines
- there are no spines on the leaf edges
- Leaf stalk attachment to leaf
- the petiole attaches at the basal margin of the leaf blade
- Leaf stalk base
- the petiole base clasps the stem or sheathes the stem
- Leaf teeth and lobes
- the edge of the leaf blade is entire (has no teeth or lobes)
- Leaf type
- the leaves are simple (i.e., lobed or unlobed but not separated into leaflets)
- Leaflet number
- 0
- Leaflet petiolules
- NA
- Leaves per node
- there is one leaf per node along the stem
- Stipels
- NA
- Stipule features
- NA
- Stipules
- there are no stipules on the plant
-
Place
- Habitat
-
- terrestrial
- wetlands
- Specific habitat
-
- edges of wetlands
- shores of rivers or lakes
- swamps
-
Stem, shoot, branch
- Branched tendrils
- NA
- Leaves on stem
- there is at least one full leaf above the base of the flowering stem
- Tendril origin
- NA
- Tendrils
- the plant does not have tendrils
Wetland status
Occurs only in wetlands. (Wetland indicator code: OBL)
In New England
Distribution
- Connecticut
- present
- Maine
- absent
- Massachusetts
- present
- New Hampshire
- absent
- Rhode Island
- present
- Vermont
- absent
Conservation status
Exact status definitions can vary from state to state. For details, please check with your state.
- Connecticut
- extremely rare (S-rank: S1), endangered (code: E)
- Massachusetts
- historical (S-rank: SH), H (code: H)
- Rhode Island
- extremely rare (S-rank: S1), state endangered (code: SE)
From Flora Novae Angliae dichotomous key
1. Saururus cernuus L. NC
lizard’s-tail. CT, MA, RI. Swamps, shorelines, river banks.