Taxon	Illustrator ⠉
	Pontederia cordata Lachnanthes caroliniana Lophiola aurea	John Myers John Myers John Myers

Herbs, annual or perennial, rooted in mud. Vegetative stems submersed and growing to surface, or rhizomatous. Flowering-stems submersed and growing to surface, or emersed and slightly constricted just below first node. Sessile leaves forming basal rosette, blade thin. Petiolate leaves floating or emersed; blade cordate to reniform, apex obtuse to acuminate. Inflorescences spicate, commonly 50 or more-flowered, elongating over many days; spathes folded, apex acute to acuminate; peduncle glandular-pubescent or pilose. Flowers open 1 day only; perianth mauve, blue, or white, funnelform, limb lobes oblong to oblanceolate, glandular-pubescent or pilose, apex obtuse to acuminate; stamens 6, distal 3 shorter than proximal 3; filaments purple, glandular-pubescent; anthers yellow, ovoid to oblong; ovary 3-locular, only 1 developing to maturity; ovule 1; style 1 or more. Fruits utriculate, ovoid, with spinulose, dentate or smooth longitudinal ridges. Seed 1, ovoid, smooth.

Distribution

Western Hemisphere

Discussion

Species 6 (1 in the flora).

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

Pontederia cordata

"thin" is not a number."elongating" is not a number.