Sagittaria platyphylla (Engelm.) J.G.Sm.

  • Authority

    Haynes, Robert R. & Holm-Nielsen, Laurtiz B. 1994. The Alismataceae. Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 64: 1-228. (Published by NYBG Press)

  • Family

    Alismataceae

  • Scientific Name

    Sagittaria platyphylla (Engelm.) J.G.Sm.

  • Type

    Type. Based on type of Sagittaria graminea var. platyphylla Engelmann in A. Gray.

  • Synonyms

    Sagittaria graminea var. platyphylla Engelm., Sagittaria mohrii J.G.Sm. ex C.Mohr

  • Description

    Species Description - Perenial herbs, from stolons or conns, glabrous, to 150 cm tall; stolons to 16 cm long, 1.2-4.1 mm wide; corms 0.8-2 cm long, 0.8-3.1 cm diam. Leaves submersed and emersed; submersed leaves sessile, yellow-green, bandshaped, to 26 cm long, ca. 5 mm wide, the veins 3, the apex acute, the basal lobes absent, the basal sheath to 7 cm long; emersed leaves petiolate, the petioles triangular, 21-70.5 cm long, 2-5 mm wide, the basal sheath to 33 cm, the blades pale green, linear-ovate, 4.6-16.4 cm long, 0.7-6.1 cm wide, the veins 1-7, the apex acute to obtuse, the basal lobes absent. Inflorescence a simple scape of 3-9 whorls, emersed, 2.5-10 cm long, 2-4.5 cm wide, the whorls with 3 flowers; peduncles terete, 22-60 cm long, 1.2-5 mm diam.; staminate bracts united at base, lanceolate, delicate, ca. 3 mm long, the apex round acute; carpellate bracts united at base, lanceolate, delicate, 3.4-5.5 mm long, the apex acute; staminate pedicels spreading to ascending, cylindric, 0.5-2 cm long, ca. 0.5 mm diam.; carpellate pedicels ascending to reflexed, in flower, spreading to reflexed in fruit, cylindric, 0.5-3 cm long, 0.4-1.5 mm diam. Staminate flowers without sterile carpels, the sepals spreading, 4-4.5 mm long, 1.5-3 mm wide, the petals clawed, 8.5-9.1 mm long, 4.5-6 mm wide, the claws 0.5-2 mm long, the stamens 15-21, the filaments pubescent, dilated, 0.8-1.2 mm long, 0.4-0.5 mm diam., the anthers linear, 0.6-1 mm long, 0.3-0.5 mm wide, the apex obtuse; carpellate flowers without ring of sterile stamens, the sepals reflexed to spreading in flower and fruit, 4-5.2 mm long, 2-3.2 mm wide, the petals clawed, ca. 6 mm long, ca. 5 mm wide, the claw ca. 2 mm long. Fruit aggregate 0.7-1.2 cm diam.; achenes oblanceolate, beaked, without keel, 1.2-2 mm long, 0.8-1.2 mm wide, the faces tuberculate, without glands, the beak lateral, horizontal to erect, 0.3-0.6 mm long.

  • Discussion

    Sold under the German commercial name "Breitblaettriges Pfeilkraut" ("Broad-leaved Arrowhead," transl.), the species can be used in tropical and subtropical aquariums (De Wit, 1971; Mühlberg, 1980).

  • Distribution

    Eastern United States of America, Mexico, and Panama.

    Mexico North America| Michoacán Mexico North America| Nuevo León Mexico North America| Panama Central America| Canal Zone Panamá Central America|