Perennial, aquatic herbs; stem reduced to a subterranean corm; roots short, fibrous, very abundant
Leaves
erect, blade variable, linear-lanceolate to elliptic, base decurrent to cordate, apex acute to rounded
Inflorescence
a verticillate, pyramidal, compound panicle, consisting of successive whorls of usually more than 3 branches, each whorl subtended by 3 bracts and several smaller bracteoles
Flowers
bisexual, pedicellate
Sepals
smaller than petals
Petals
white to purplish pink
Stamens
6, in pairs opposite petals; filaments filiform
Carpels
10-20 free, situated in a circle on torus, compressed laterally; style ventral, short, filiform; ovule campylotropous
Achenes
compressed laterally, dorsally ridged
x = 7 (6, 8, 13, 17) (polyploidy)
Nomenclature:
Alisma
L.
Linnaeus: 342 (1753)
Carter: 5 (1960)
Obermeyer: 96 (1966)
Cook et al.: 100 (1974)
Cook: 25 (1990)
Björkqvist: 1 (1967)
Distribution & Notes:
Global
: Species 9, indigenous in the northern hemisphere, by recent introductions almost cosmopolitan
Southern Africa
: Species 1:
Alisma plantago-aquatica
L., sporadic distribution
References:
BJÖRKQVIST, I. 1967. Studies in
Alisma
L. I. Distribution, variation and germination.
Opera Botanica
17
CARTER, S. 1960.
Flora of tropical East Africa
.
Alismataceae
COOK, C.D.K., GUT, B.J., RIX, E.J., SCHNELLER, J. & SEITZ, M. 1974.
Water plants of the world
. W. Junk, The Hague
COOK, C.D.K. 1990.
Aquatic plant book
. SPB Academic Publishing, The Hague
LINNAEUS, C. 1753.
Species plantarum
. Laurentius Salvius, Stockholm
OBERMEYER, A.A. 1966.
Alismataceae
.
Flora of southern Africa
1
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