Description:

• Annual or perennial, decumbent or erect, either rooted or free-floating herbs; roots concentrated on a long or short rhizome
• Leaves basal, ± distichous, erect, juvenile linear; adult differentiated into petiole and blade; lamina lanceolate to ovate or cordate, cuneate at base, acute or obtuse at apex, tipped by a hard blunt mucro; with parallel nerves
• Inflorescence umbellate, 1 whorl of flowers, sometimes 2 in larger plants; peduncle longer than leaves; each whorl with rather few bracteate, long-pedicellate flowers, or flowers solitary
• Flowers regular, bisexual, hypogynous
• Sepals 3, green, persistent, with latex tubes
• Petals 3, larger than sepals, delicate, not persistent, white to rose or yellow
• Stamens ± 9, all fertile
• Carpels superior, 4-9, united at base, in 1 or rarely 2 whorls; ovules many, parietal
• Fruit a head of follicles or thin-walled nutlets; longer than sepals
• Seeds many, scattered over inner surface of carpel wall, smooth and shiny, black to brown; embryo horseshoe-shaped

Classification Notes:

• According to Dahlgren et al. (1985) the Limnocharitaceae are very similar to the Alismataceae and it was with some hesitation that they separated the two families

Nomenclature:

• Limnocharitaceae
  • Hooper & Symoens: 56 (1982)
  • Dahlgren et al.: 299 (1985)
  • Cook: 116 (1990)

Distribution & Notes:

• Global: Genera 3, species 11
• Southern Africa: Genus 1, species 1; *Hydrocleys nymphoides (Willd.) Buchenau, 'Water Poppy', is cultivated as an ornamental aquatic plant

References:

• COOK, C.D.K. 1990. Aquatic plant book. SPB Academic Publishing, The Hague
• DAHLGREN, R.M.T., CLIFFORD, H.T. & YEO, P.F. 1985. The families of the monocotyledons. Springer-Verlag, Berlin
• HOOPER, S.S. & SYMOENS, J.J. 1982. Observations on the family Limnocharitaceae Takhtajan ex Hooper & Symoens. In J.J. Symoens, S.S. Hooper & P. Compère, Studies on aquatic vascular plants. Royal Botanical Society of Belgium, Brussels

Resources:

• Limnocharitaceae genus: Butomopsis