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Spathellas (spathaceous bracts with enclosed flower) solitary or aggregated, ± sessile on the thalloid part, and in clusters in the axils of leaves on the elongated stems, subtended by 2 scale-like bracts, spherical to obovoid, dehiscing irregularly at the apex, or laterally; the flower inverted (reflexed) within the unruptured spathella before anthesis.
Submerged freshwater herbs; basal thalloid part firmly appressed and attached to substrate, foliaceous and ± deeply lobed or ribbon-like and branched.
Ovary 1-locular, subspherical, with central placentation; placentas subglobose bearing numerous anatropous ovules; styles 2, subulate.
Capsule subspherical, 8-ribbed, dehiscing into 2 slightly unequal valves, the smaller caducous.
Stems absent or very short and hardly emerging from the thallus, or elongate and branched.
Pedicel long-exserted from the spathella after anthesis, bearing the flower erect.
Leaves floating and repeatedly forked into ± filamentous segments.
Tepals 2, minute, subulate, one on each side of the andropodium.
Seeds black, numerous, flattened ovate.
Stamen 1.Pollen 2-cellular.