| Classification |
| Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Liliopsida
Order Type: Basal Angiosperms-Monocots
Order: Alismatales
Family: Alismataceae
Family Common Name: Water Plantain Family
Genera: Alisma, Sagittaria |
Defining Features:
Defining Morphology: Floral
Features: Flowers are unisexual or bisexual and actinomorphic. Flowers
are in panicles or racemes. Ovaries are superior and often with basal placentation.
Fruit and Seed Features: Monocotyledon. Fruit a heads of achenes. Seeds
have curved or bent embryo. Vegetative Features: Habit as aquatic or semi
aquatic herbs with rhizomes. Leaves simple, basal, dimorphic with bladeless
submersed leaves and linear to sagittate emersed leaves. Stipules are lacking.
Distribution: Worldwide aquatic
(fresh water).
Economic Use: Some species
being used in water gardens and one species, S. sagittifolia is
grown for its edible corm.
Number of Genera Globally:
16
Number of Species Globally: 100
