brevistyla is a subspecies of Trithuria inconspicua in the family Hydatellaceae endemic to the South Island of New Zealand.

inconspicua in respect to the morphology of the reproductive structures (stalks not elongating with maturity,[2][4][3] short stigmatic hairs, and globose to ovoid fruits[3][2][4][5]).

[2] The type specimen was collected by K.A.Ford and R.D.Smissen in Mary Bay, Lake Hauroko, Southland, New Zealand on the 12th of March 2015.

[8] It was elevated to the status of the separate species Trithuria brevistyla (K.A.Ford) de Lange & Mosyakin by Peter James de Lange and Sergei Leonidovich Mosyakin within the same year of the original publication (2019),[4] yet there appears to be no consensus for this decision.

[11] It occurs in lakes[12] at depths of 0.3–2 m, where it grows in gravel, silt, and sand substrates.