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Black-fruited Clearweed (Pilea fontana (Lunell) Rydb.)

Also known as lesser clearweed, blackfruit clearweed, spring clearweed, springs clearweed, bog clearweed.

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Summary
Range
Similar Plants
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Photos

a plant with opposite, serrated leaves and fine black seed clusters in the leaf axils, against a weedy background

Photo © Ryan Sorrells, CC BY 4.0.

↑Summary

An annual usually restricted to calcareous substrates in or near wetlands.

↑Range - Expand

Legend	Color
Native
Native or Not Present

This tentative map is based on our own research. It may have limited data on Canada and/or Mexico, and there is some subjectivity in our assignment of plants as introduced vs. expanded. Read more in this blog post.

↑Similar Plants

Canadian Clearweed (Pilea pumila)
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↑Notes

Of the many common names for this species, we prefer the name "black-fruited clearweed" as it references the most reliable characteristic used to distinguish it from canadian clearweed (Pilea pumila). The widely-used name "lesser clearweed" is misleading as the term "lesser" usually implies smaller stature as size, but the sizes of both this and P. pumila are variable to the point of almost complete overlap. The name "spring(s) clearweed" references one of the common habitats, around springs, where this species is found, but is not necessarily particular to this species as P. pumila can also be found around springs. The common name "bog clearweed" is also misleading as this species has a preference for high pH wetlands, whereas bogs tend to be acidic, thus it tends not to be found in bogs.