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Vigorous dioecious perennial. Stems slender, branched, very brittle, to 6 m long, c. 1 mm diam. Leaves opposite below, crowded and in whorls of 3 above, 6-12 × c. 2 mm, oblong or ovate-oblong, subobtuse, translucent, margins minutely toothed. All N.Z. collections, with exception of 2 from Hawkes Bay, have been from female plants. Flowers 1 per spathe in axils of upper leaves; male flowers with broad green, purple-striped sepals and narrow petals; female flowers with small, green, purple-spotted sepals and white petals ± 2.5 mm long, on perianth-tube to 20 cm long. Capsules not present in N.Z.
Lower lvs small, opposite, ovate or lance-ovate, the others ternate, 6–17 × 1–5 (avg 2) mm, linear to lance-oblong, bright green, ± firm, the upper closely imbricate; fls elevated on a very slender, pedicel-like hypanthium 2–30 cm; staminate spathes 7–10+ mm (including the slender base), expanded and 2-lobed above; pistillate spathes 8–20 mm, cylindric; sep of staminate fls 3–4 mm, of pistillate fls 2–3.5 mm; pet white, clawed, 2–4.5 mm; fr turbinate, 5–6.5 mm with a 5–6 mm beak; 2n=48. In quiet water, Que. to B.C., s. to N.C., Ala., Ark., and Calif. July–Sept. (Anacharis c.; Philotria c.)
Leaves mostly in 3s, spreading to recurved, linear, oblong, to ovate, 5--13 ´ (1.1--)2--5 mm, flat. Inflorescences: staminate spathes cylindric, 8.2--13.5 mm; peduncles abscissing just before or during anthesis; pistillate spathes cylindric, 8.3--17.5 mm. Flowers unisexual; staminate flowers: stamens 7--9(--18), pedicels detaching before or during anthesis; all filaments connate proximally, forming column; anthers 1.7--3 mm; pollen in tetrads; pistillate flowers: styles 2.6--4 mm. Seeds fusiform, 4--5.7 mm, basal hairs absent. 2n = 24 (Britain).
