Saururus cernuus — lizard's-tail
![Flowers: Saururus cernuus. ~ By John Lynch. ~ Copyright © 2024 New England Wild Flower Society. ~ Image Request, images[at]newenglandwild.org](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com:443/taxon-images-1000s1000/Saururaceae/saururus-cernuus-fl-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:443/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:443/taxon-images-1000s1000/Saururaceae/saururus-cernuus-fl-esaulys.jpg)
![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:443/taxon-images-1000s1000/Saururaceae/saururus-cernuus-ha-esaulys.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:443/taxon-images-1000s1000/Saururaceae/saururus-cernuus-le-jlynch.jpg)
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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.
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enlargeFacts
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)
Characteristics
- 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)
New England distribution and conservation status
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 the dichotomous key of Flora Novae Angliae
1. Saururus cernuus L. NC
lizard’s-tail. CT, MA, RI. Swamps, shorelines, river banks.