An Illustrated Flora of the Northern United States, Canada and the British Possessions/Hydrocharitaceae
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Family 9.
Hydrocharitàceae
Aschers.
.
Frog's-bit Family.
Aquatic or mud-inhabiting herbs, with broad or narrow leaves borne on a very short stem. Flowers regular, monoecious or dioecious, arising from spathes of distinct or united bracts. Perianth superior, 6-parted, the segments usually all petaloid, the flower-tube adnate to the ovary in the pistillate flowers. Stamens 6-12, distinct or monodelphous. Ovary visually 6-9-celled. Styles 6-9. Ovules numerous. Fruit somewhat fleshy, usually indehiscent. Seeds numerous.
About 8 genera and 20 species, in temperate and tropical regions. Thalassia in Florida.
1. Limnòbium L. C. Richard, Mem. Inst. Paris, 32: 66. pl. 8. 1811.
Aquatic, stoloniferous herbs, the leaves fascicled at the nodes, petioled, broad, cordate. Flowers monoecious, white, arising from sessile or stipitate, 2-leaved, membranous spathes. Perianth 6-parted ; segments petaloid, the 3 outer oblong to oval, the 3 inner oblong to linear. Staminate flowers 2-4 in a spathe, long-penduncled, the stamens united in a column bearing 6-12 anthers at different heights, sometimes producing only 9-12 staminodia, the filaments tipped with abortive anthers. Pistillate flowers sessile or short-peduncled with 3-6 vestigial stamens; ovary 6-9-celled with as many central placentae; stigmas as many as the cells, each 2-parted. Fruit a many-seeded berry. [Greek referring to the aquatic habitat.]
Species, 3 or 4, natives of America. Type species: L. Bosci L. C. Richard, the same as the following.