Alismataceae

Burnatia Micheli

First published in A.L.P.P.de Candolle & A.C.P.de Candolle, Monogr. Phan. 3: 81 (1881)
This genus is accepted
The native range of this genus is Tropical & S. Africa.

Descriptions

Alismataceae, Susan Carter. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1960

Morphology General Habit
Perennial glabrous dioecious, swamp and aquatic herbs
Morphology Leaves
Leaves erect; leaf-blade linear-lanceolate to ovate; base decurrent to rounded
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence above the leaves, of whorls of 3 branches or 3 flowers; bracts 3, lanceolate and membranous beneath the branches, much smaller beneath the flowers
sex Male
Male flowers: sepals 3; petals 3; stamens 9; filaments flattened; anthers oblong; abortive carpels about 12
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Female flowers: sepals 3, spreading; petals 0, rarely present as 3 minute scales; carpels numerous, free; style ventral and very short; stigma papillose; ovules basal, solitary; achenes bunched on the small stipitate receptacle, laterally compressed with a flange following the outline of the seed cavity on each side, glandular. Male flowers: sepals 3; petals 3; stamens 9; filaments flattened; anthers oblong; abortive carpels about 12
sex Female
Female flowers: sepals 3, spreading; petals 0, rarely present as 3 minute scales; carpels numerous, free; style ventral and very short; stigma papillose; ovules basal, solitary; achenes bunched on the small stipitate receptacle, laterally compressed with a flange following the outline of the seed cavity on each side, glandular.
[FTEA]

M. Thulin et al. Flora of Somalia, Vol. 1-4 [updated 2008] https://plants.jstor.org/collection/FLOS

Morphology General Habit
Perennial glabrous dioecious herbs
Morphology Leaves
Leaves erect; blade linear-lanceolate to ovate
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence of whorls of 3 branches or 3 flowers
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Female flowers with outer tepals only Male flowers with 3 + 3 tepals, 9 stamens and abortive carpels
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Carpels
Carpels numerous, free; ovules solitary; style very short, lateral
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Nutlets flattened with subcircular lateral flanges, glandular.
Distribution
Genus of a single species in tropical and southern Africa only.
[FSOM]

J. R. Timberlake, E. S. Martins (2009). Flora Zambesiaca, Vol 12 (part 2). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Morphology General Habit
Perennial swamp or aquatic herbs, dioecious by abortion, with tuberous rhizome densely covered with ± fleshy roots
Morphology Leaves
Leaves radical, erect, with long petiole; leaf-blade linear-lanceolate to ovate, the base decurrent to rounded
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence overtopping the leaf, a compound panicle with whorls of 3 branch or 3 flowers, sometimes reduced and few-flowered; bract 3 below the branch, lanceolate, membranous, much smaller below the flowers
sex Male
Male flowers sepals 3; petals 3, smaller than sepals; stamens 9, the outer 6 opposed to the sepals, the inner 3 opposed to the petals; abortive carpels about 12
sex Female
Female flowers sepals 3; petals 0 or minute; staminodes 0–2; carpels 8–20, free, closely arranged on a small receptacle; style ventral, very short, with stigma discoid, papillose; ovules basal, solitary
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Achenes bunched on the stipitate receptacle, laterally compressed, with a narrow ± circular wing on each side following outline of the seed cavity.
Distribution
A monospecific genus known only from tropical and subtropical Africa.
[FZ]

Sources

  • Flora Zambesiaca

    • Flora Zambesiaca
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of Somalia

    • Flora of Somalia
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

    • Flora of Tropical East Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2026. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2026. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0