Elodea

Taxonomic status Accepted
Occurrence status Present
Origin Introduced

Submerged freshwater, dioecious herb, attached to substrate. Leaves 3(–5) per whorl (basal leaves opposite), mostly very crowded at distal ends of branches or less frequently well-spaced along the branch, sessile, (0.5–)0.6–1.2(–1.7) cm long, elliptic to narrowly ovate or linear-elliptic, glabrous, green, 1–veined; margin translucent, usually minutely toothed with fine dark-tipped teeth, sometimes entire; apex obtuse to acute. Flowers basally subtended by united floral bracts, solitary, each with a thread-like hypanthium; perianth of 2 whorls of 3 segments each, the outer whorl translucent, the inner white. Male flower with hypanthium usually breaking to allow distal part of flower to float to the water surface; stamens 9. Female flower with hypanthium 2–15(–30) cm long; staminodes 3, opposite inner perianth parts; ovary enclosed in base of hypanthium, unilocular; style as long as hypanthium; stigmas 3, broad and 2-lobed at apex. Seeds c. 4.5 mm long.

1 species from temperate America, naturalised in Australia, New Zealand, British Isles and Europe.

Source:

Conn, B.J. (1994). Hydrocharitaceae. In: Walsh, N.G.; Entwisle, T.J., ‍Flora of Victoria Vol. 2, Ferns and Allied Plants, Conifers and Monocotyledons‍, pp. 129–136. Inkata Press, Melbourne.

Elodea (hero image) Spinning