87.010 Egeria Planch.

Dioecious, submerged, freshwater, perennial herbs. Roots simple, adventitious, without root-hairs, arising from nodes. Stems elongate, stoloniferous or erect, terete, simple or branched from axils; subtended at the base by 2 sessile, opposite, scale-like leaves. All other leaves sessile, in whorls, linear to lanceolate, flaccid, somewhat translucent, with 1 apical spine; margins green or hyaline, serrulate to denticulate. Nodal scales 2–4 per leaf, ovoid to orbicular with entire margins. Flowers have a solitary spathe in leaf axils, sessile, narrowly ovoid, 2–5-flowered; sepals 3, ovate to suborbicular, obtuse or cucullate; petals 3, widely elliptic to orbicular, rounded, spreading. Ovary of 3 carpels, ovoid, 1-locular, placentation parietal. Fruit ovoid, smooth. Seeds ellipsoid, covered in elongated or spine-like cells.

Worldwide: Two species in South America.

Zimbabwe: 1 taxon.