Free-floating aquatic, acaulescent, rosulate, herb with pendulous fibrous roots. Leaves subsessile, densely pubescent; lamina with parallel
primary veins. Inflorescence hidden among leaf bases. Spathe constricted in the middle; basal part slightly inflated, convolute; apical part ± erect, expanded. Spadix highly reduced, adnate to spathe. Flowers unisexual; perianth segments 0. Male flowers 2-8, connate into a single whorl borne on a short stipe, subtended by a basal cup. Female flowers solitary; basal
part consisting of a single 1-locular ovary; ovules numerous; style curved. Fruit a several-seeded berry, dehiscing by irregular
splits. Seeds subcylindric, rugose. Worldwide: 1 species occurring widely in the tropics Botswana: 1 taxon. |
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