Caldesia parnassifolia (L.) Parl.

Alisma à feuilles de Parnassie (fr), Caldésie à feuilles de parnassie (fr), Alisme à feuilles de parnassie (fr), Alisma à feuilles de parnassie (fr)

Species

Angiosperms > Alismatales > Alismataceae > Caldesia

Characteristics

Glabrous. Leaves floating, broad-ovate to broad-elliptic or suborbicular, 2.5-6 cm long measured along the midrib, base deeply cordate with broadly rounded basal lobes, apex obtuse, in smaller specimens sometimes broad-acute; nerves 13-17, connected by very numerous, straight, parallel, fine crossbar-veins, 1/3-1/2 mm spaced, ascending at 60°; petiole c. 25(-50) cm, with few lengthwise air-channels, prominently septate at distances of 4-8 mm when dry. Inflorescences few or one, peduncle hollow, with lengthwise air-channels, finely ribbed when dry, including the panicle c. 15 cm long. Panicle mostly shorter than the peduncle, pyramidal, branches and flowers on the branches regularly in subsequent whorls of 3, sometimes seemingly in whorls of 4-6 but then 1-3 pedicels represent really 1-flowered branches with each 3 bracts above the base of the 'pedicel'; each branch and pedicel sustained at the base by a membranous, acute, oblong-lanceolate bract, lower ones 1 cm long, subsequent ones gradually smaller. Pedicels 1.5-4 cm. Sepals elliptic, bluntly rounded, reMain ing erect, pale green with hyaline margin, c. 3.5-4.5 by 2-2.5 mm. Petals white, in bud elliptic, bluntly rounded, very thin, somewhat exceeding the sepals. Stamens 6, filaments white or pale yellow, broadened towards the base, persistent, 2-2.5 mm; anthers bright yellow, compressed, 1 by 1/3-1/2 mm. Carpels 5-8, not all developing into achenes, compressed, obovate, including the style 2-2.5 mm; style subterminal, c. 1-1.5 mm; stigma punctiform. Achene elliptic; laterally faintly compressed, dorsally with 3-5 longitudinal ribs, incl. style c. 3-4 mm long; exocarp spongy, brown, endocarp consisting of a layer of thick-walled sclerenchymatic, radial cells, each cell-wall inside provided with ribs. Seed c. 2 by 1 mm, pale brown.
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Emergent perennial or annual with emergent and floating leaves. Mature leaves with petiole septa 2–4 mm apart when dry; blade broadly elliptic to suborbicular, 3.5–6.5 cm long, not pellucid-dotted;base deeply cordate with rounded basal lobes; apex obtuse; main veins 11–15; cross veins fine, parallel, at 60° to veins, 0.2–0.5 mm apart. Inflorescence pyramidal, c. 75 cm long; branches and flowers on branches mostly in whorls of 3; lower bracts 1 cm long, shorter upwards. Sepals elliptic, c. 3.5–4.5 mm long, remaining erect after anthesis, pale green with hyaline margin. Petals slightly longer than sepals. Stamens 6. Carpels 5–8, not all developing, c. 1 mm long. Achenes ellipsoid, faintly compressed, c. 3–4 mm long, with 3–5 smooth, dorsal, longitudinal ribs. Seeds c. 2 mm long, pale brown.
Rhizomes creeping. Petiole 5-100 cm; leaf blade ovate or elliptic, 2-10 × 1.5-7 cm, veins 9-15, base cordate to deeply so, apex obtuse. Scapes erect or not, 30-125 cm high; inflorescences paniculate, 20-35 cm. Flowers 3-verticillate; pedicels 2.5-4 cm. Sepals persistent, ovate, 3.5-5 × 2-3 mm. Petals ovate, larger than sepals. Stamens 6. Carpels 5-10, laterally compressed; style 2(-4) mm, slender. Fruitlets obovoid, ca. 3 × 2 mm, with 3-5 longitudinal ribs abaxially and an erect beak. Fl. and fr. May-Oct. 2n = 22*.
A herb. The leaf stalk is 5-100 cm long. The leaves are oval and 2-10 cm long by 1.5-7 cm wide. They are heart shaped at the base. The flowers are in a group.
Life form perennial
Growth form herb
Growth support aquatic
Foliage retention deciduous
Sexuality hermaphrodite
Pollination entomogamy
Spread barochory
Mature width (meter) -
Mature height (meter) 0.3 - 0.75
Root system rhizome
Rooting depth (meter) -
Root diameter (meter) -
Flower color
Blooming months
JanFebMar
AprMayJun
JulAugSep
OctNovDec
Fruit color -
Fruiting months
JanFebMar
AprMayJun
JulAugSep
OctNovDec
Nitrogen fixer -
Photosynthetic pathway c3

Environment

Permanent lowland swamps, rooting in shallow water, in Celebes at 650 m.
More
Grows in spring-fed creeks and permanent swamps. 
It is a temperate plant.
Light -
Soil humidity 9-12
Soil texture -
Soil acidity -
Soil nutriment -
Hardiness (USDA) 8-12

Usage

Uses food medicinal
Edible -
Therapeutic use -
Human toxicity -
Animal toxicity -

Cultivation

Mode -
Germination duration (days) -
Germination temperacture (C°) -
Germination luminosity -
Germination treatment -
Minimum temperature (C°) -
Optimum temperature (C°) -
Size -
Vigor -
Productivity -

Images

Caldesia parnassifolia unspecified picture
Caldesia parnassifolia unspecified picture

Distribution

Caldesia parnassifolia world distribution map, present in Angola, Australia, Austria, Benin, Burkina Faso, Bangladesh, Bulgaria, Bahamas, Belarus, Botswana, Switzerland, Chile, China, Congo, Germany, Egypt, France, Guinea, Hungary, Indonesia, Iceland, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova (Republic of), Madagascar, Myanmar, Malaysia, Nigeria, Nepal, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Poland, Korea (Democratic People's Republic of), Romania, Rwanda, Sudan, Senegal, Thailand, Tanzania, United Republic of, Uganda, Ukraine, Viet Nam, Zambia, and Zimbabwe

Conservation status

Caldesia parnassifolia threat status: Least Concern

Identifiers

LSID urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:58293-1
WFO ID wfo-0000762635
COL ID PHTM
BDTFX ID 12137
INPN ID 87417
Wikipedia (EN) Link
Wikipedia (FR) Link

Synonyms

Alisma parnassifolium Caldesia reniformis Alisma calyophyllum Alisma reniforme Caldesia parnassifolia Alisma dubium Alisma parnassifolia Echinodorus parnassifolius Alisma parnassifolium var. major Alisma parnassifolium var. baumgartenianum Caldesia parnassifolia var. major Caldesia parnassifolia var. nilotica Caldesia parnassifolia var. dubia Caldesia parnassifolia var. terrestris Caldesia reniformis f. natans Alisma parnassifolium var. mayus Caldesia parnassifolia subsp. euparnassifolia