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Fls 1–several in a sessile or peduncled infl subtended by a sheathing bladeless spathe, below which is another blade-bearing lf; fls regular or with the perianth-segments unequally disposed; perianth-tube very slender, with 6 spreading, linear to lanceolate segments, the 3 outer narrower than the 3 inner; stamens 3, dimorphic, the 2 posterior (lower) ones short, with usually ovate anthers, the anterior (upper) one larger, with longer filament and oblong to sagittate anther; anthers not coiling after dehiscence; ovary incompletely 3-locular, the 3 parietal placentas intruded, with many ovules; nectaries wanting; fr capsular; plants submersed to partly emersed, or creeping in mud; lvs and stems dimorphic, the erect fertile stems differentiated from the very short to elongate, branched and creeping sterile ones; some lvs bladeless, narrow, sessile and often forming a rosette, others petiolate, with expanded, floating or emersed blade; fls small, white to blue or violet. 11, warm Amer. and Afr.
Aquatic herbs; lower stems creeping and rooting in the mud. Leaves either all linear and submerged, or ovate or reniform and floating, sessile, or petioles long, sheathing the stem at the base; flowering stems bearing an apical leaf, the sheath of which encloses the membranous spathe. Flowers rather small, solitary or several, arranged in a spike subtended by the spathe; also one or more cleistogamous flowers enclosed in the spathe or sometimes mingled with the normal flowers. Perianth almost regular, funnel-shaped or salver-shaped, divided into 6 equal oblong spreading lobes. Stamens 3 in normal flowers, sometimes solitary in cleistogamous flowers, inserted at the throat of the perianth-tube, exserted and unequal. Ovary unilocular with 3 parietal placentas or imperfectly 3-locular; ovules numerous; style filiform; stigma thickened. Capsule oblong or linear with thin pericarp. Seeds numerous, ovoid, ribbed.
Plants submerged or floating or of swampy places. Aerial leaves petiolate, expanded; submerged leaves, if present, grass-like. Inflorescence loosely spicate or with a solitary flower. Peduncle exserted from or ensheathed by the spathe. Perianth nearly regular, salverform, white or blue, the outer lobes narrower than the inner. Stamens 3, unequal, one with a much longer filament and larger anther. Ovary many-ovulate. Fruit capsular; seeds very numerous.
Inflorescences 2-7-flowered. Flowers sessile. Tepals shorter than 1 cm. Perianth strongly zygomorphic, very distinctly gamophyllous, posterior segment with a discolorous blotch. Stamens 3; anthers basifixed. Filaments, at least those of the longer stamens, hairy.
