Description:

• Perennial, herbaceous, scapose, glabrous marsh plants
• Rhizome stoloniferous or bulbous, covered with fibres from old leaves
• Roots fibrous, with spongy outer covering that soon disintegrates, leaving the thin wiry stele; lateral roots thin, with long root hairs
• Leaves basal, distichous, rush-like, cylindrical to setaceous, glaucous, somewhat succulent, forming a broad open sheath below; ligule present at junction of sheath and lamina; axillary scales minute, linguiform
• Inflorescence a simple raceme overtopping leaves; scape terete, firm
• Flowers regular or somewhat irregular, bisexual or unisexual, protogynous, anemophilous, ebracteate, on decurrent, erecto-patent pedicels
• Perianth 3 + 3; green, inner segments raised above outer whorl, shell-shaped with a stamen contained in the hollow, segment and stamen semipersistent, falling together
• Stamens 3 + 3; anthers sessile, epipetalous, 2-thecous, dorsifixed, dehiscing longitudinally; pollen globose
• Ovary superior; carpels 6 or outer whorl suppressed, ± connate, each containing 1 basal anatropous ovule; styles short or 0; stigmas plumose
• Fruit ± globose to cylindrical, sometimes spurred below, of usually 3 follicles separating upwards from a central columella
• Seeds erect; embryo straight; endosperm 0
• x = 12 (7, 8, 9, 10) (high polyploidy)

Nomenclature:

• Juncaginaceae
  • Bennett: 41 (1897), Najadaceae in part
  • Obermeyer: 92 (1966)
  • Dahlgren et al.: 310 (1985)
  • Cook: 108 (1990)

Distribution & Notes:

• Global: Genera 4, species 20, cosmopolitan
• Southern Africa: Genus 1, species 2

References:

• BENNETT, A. 1897. Naiadaceae. Flora capensis 7
• 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
• OBERMEYER, A.A. 1966. Juncaginaceae. Flora of southern Africa 1

Resources:

• Juncaginaceae genus: Triglochin