Spermatophyta: Monocotyledonae: Alismatales

Hydrocharitaceae

Gibbs Russell, G.E. (1977) Keys to Vascular Aquatic Plants in Rhodesia Kirkia 10(2) 411-502

Obermeyer, A.A. (1966) Hydrocharitaceae Flora of Southern Africa 1

Simpson, D.S. (1989) Hydrocharitaceae Flora of Tropical East Africa

Symoens, J.J. (2009) Hydrocharitaceae Flora Zambesiaca 12(2)

Description of the family

Aquatic, annual or perennial herbs, submerged or rarely floating. Stipules 0. Flowers unisexual or bisexual, mostly actinomorphic, arranged in a spathe. Perianth tube often present in female and bisexual flowers, usually extending to carry the flower to the water surface. Perianth segments 3 or 6, if 6, differentiated into sepals and petals, sepals and petals free. Stamens 2-many, staminodes often present in female flowers. Ovary inferior, of 2-15 connate carpels, 1(-3)-locular. Styles 2-15. Fruit a capsule.

Worldwide: 15 genera and 80 species, cosmopolitan.

Zimbabwe: 5 genera and 12 taxa.

Links to genera: View: living plant images - herbarium specimen images - all images for this family

Genus	Content
Egeria Planch.	Description
Lagarosiphon Harv.	Description, Image
Limnobium Rich.	Description, Image
Ottelia Pers.	Description, Image
Vallisneria L.	Description

Other sources of information about Hydrocharitaceae:

Our websites:

Flora of Botswana: Hydrocharitaceae
Flora of Burundi: Hydrocharitaceae
Flora of Caprivi: Hydrocharitaceae
Flora of the DRC: Hydrocharitaceae
Flora of Malawi: Hydrocharitaceae
Flora of Mozambique: Hydrocharitaceae
Flora of Rwanda: Hydrocharitaceae
Flora of Zambia: Hydrocharitaceae

External websites:

African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): Hydrocharitaceae
BHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library): Hydrocharitaceae
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Hydrocharitaceae
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): Hydrocharitaceae
Google: Web - Images - Scholar
iNaturalist: Hydrocharitaceae
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Hydrocharitaceae
JSTOR Plant Science: Hydrocharitaceae
Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Hydrocharitaceae
Wikipedia: Hydrocharitaceae
Plants of the World Online: Hydrocharitaceae
Tropicos: Hydrocharitaceae