Aquatic or amphibious annual or ? perennial, sometimes entirely submerged; stems pink, inflated and ± fleshy when submerged, floating or creeping, usually erect and scarcely branched above, rooting at the nodes, 5–40 cm. long.. Leaves decussate, sessile; submerged ones elliptic to oblong or obovate, 0.5–2 cm. long, 2–7 mm. wide, obtuse at the apex, cordate at the base, membranous; aerial ones oblong to obovate, 0.3–1.2 cm. long, 2–6 mm. wide, obtuse at the apex, cordate at the base.. Flowers pink, reddish or greenish, solitary, axillary; pedicels 0.3–2 mm. long; bracteoles 2, filiform to linear-lanceolate, 0.25–1 mm. long.. Calyx-tube ± cylindrical to urceolate, 0.8–1.2 mm. long, enlarging and becoming subglobose and often splitting in fruit; lobes 4, triangular, 0.5–0.9 mm. long, ± mucronate; interjected folds distinct before fruiting.. Petals pink or white, 0–4, sometimes rudimentary, linear to obovate, 0.2–0.7 mm. long.. Stamens 4 or sometimes less.. Ovary ellipsoid, 1 mm. long, 4-locular; style very short, 0.2–0.3 mm. long, stigma capitate.. Capsule ellipsoid to globose, (1.5–)2–3 mm. long, equalling or exceeding the calyx, 4-valved.. Seeds compressed-ovoid, 0.35–0.6 mm. long.. Fig. 15/11–14.
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Aquatic or amphibious annual or perhaps perennial herb. Leaves decussate. Flowers solitary in axils of leaf-like bracts. Petals variable, caducous, absent or up to 4, linear to obovate. Stamens 4. Capsule opening by 4 valves, ellipsoidal to globose, equal to or exceeding calyx. Flowers pink.
Stems creeping at base, with erect branches, pink
Petals 4, white, soon falling off.
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