Perennial glabrous dioecious, swamp and aquatic herbs. Leaves erect; leaf-blade linear-lanceolate to ovate; base decurrent to rounded. Inflorescence above the leaves, of whorls of 3 branches or 3 flowers; bracts 3, lanceolate and membranous beneath the branches, much smaller beneath the flowers. Male flowers: sepals 3; petals 3; stamens 9; filaments flattened; anthers oblong; abortive carpels about 12. Female flowers: sepals 3, spreading; petals 0, rarely present as 3 minute scales; carpels numerous, free; style ventral and very short; stigma papillose; ovules basal, solitary; achenes bunched on the small stipitate receptacle, laterally compressed with a flange following the outline of the seed cavity on each side, glandular.
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