Aquatic perennials of fresh water; dioecious or hermaphrodite. Leaves all basal; juvenile submersed, ribbon-like with short petioles; older leaves with broad-ovate to suborbicular floating lamina, nerves 3–11, connected by fine parallel cross-veinlets, long-petiolate. Inflorescence scapose; spathes elliptic or ovate, often ribbed or winged, = or < perianth-tube, in male plants subtending many flowers, in female and bisexual plants subtending only one flower. Flowers with 3 green persistent sepals, 3 longer white petals. Male flowers pedicellate, stamens 6–15, ovary rudimentary; female flowers sessile, staminodia present or 0, ovary oblong, stigmas (3)–6–(9), bifid, ovules many; bisexual flowers with 6 or more stamens, 6 or more stigmas. Fruit a capsule ripening inside spathe. Seeds many.
[From: Healy and Edgar (1980) Flora of New Zealand. Volume 3.]
Category | Number |
---|---|
Exotic: Fully Naturalised | 1 |
Total | 1 |