The World Flora Online

Tubercule allongé ou obovoïde, atteignant 2,5 cm de diam.' Feuilles' primordiales submergées, à pétiole atteignant 10 cm de long; limbe obovale et atteignant 2 cm de long et 1,4 cm de large, ou rubané et atteignant 11 cm de long et 0,4 cm de large, à 7 nervures principales parallèles; feuilles ultérieures flottantes, à pétiole atteignant 50 cm de long; limbe très variable, linéaire, oblong ou ovale, cunéé, arrondi, tronqué ou rarement cordé à la base, cunéé à arrondi au sommet, atteignant 16 cm de long et 5 cm de large, à 5-11 nervures principales parallèles.' Inflorescences' à pédoncule atteignant 45 cm de long, non épaissi sous l'inflorescence; spathe atteignant 1,6 cm de long, caduque; épis au nombre de 2, atteignant 5 cm de long, assez lâches à très denses, inodores.' Fleurs' insérées tout autour du rachis; tépales 2, persistants, linéaires à ovales ou obovales, de 1,5-4 mm de long et 0,5-2,5 mm de large, 1-nerves, violets; étamines 6 (absentes chez les individus apomictiques), atteignant 3 mm de long, à filet épaissi vers la base, violet; anthères violettes; pollen jaune; carpelles 3 (jusqu'à 7 chez les individus apomictiques), atteignant 3 mm de long et 1 mm de diam.; ovules 4-10 par carpelle. Infrutescences atteignant 8 cm de long.' Fruits' atteignant 7 mm de long et 2,75 mm de diam., à long bec terminal.'Graines à testa double, l'externe étroitement appliqué, transparent et réticulinerve, non distinctement ailé, l'interne brun et étroitement appliqué sur l'embryon; plumule absente.

Mares temporaires peu profondes, cuvettes rocheuses dans une végétation herbeuse ouverte ou fermée, canaux d'irrigation, prairies inondées, bras morts des rivières, sols sablonneux salins inondés; depuis le niveau de la mer jusqu'à 2700 m d'altitude.

Éthiopie, Somalie, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzanie, Malawi.

Follicles grey to brownish, 3–7 mm. long with a prominent 1–2 mm. long beak of the same colour as the remainder of the follicle or much darker, containing 4–14 ovules. Seeds elliptic to elongate, 0.7–1.5 mm. long and 0.2–0.4 mm. wide, with longitudinal ridges, but not prominently winged; testa double. Tepals persistent or caducous, pinkish, mauve to bluish violet, rarely white (only in var. albiflorus), oval, obovate to ligulate, or with a narrow base and a wider upper part, 1–5 mm. long, with 1 nerve, rarely densely set with numerous reddish brown gland-dots (only in var. glanduliferus). Stamens 2–3 mm. long; filaments white or violet, somewhat thickened towards the base; anthers 0.2–0.4 mm. long and 0.2–0.3 mm. wide, violet to almost black, but pollen yellow. Inflorescence a bifid spike 10–50 mm. long and 2–8 mm. wide when flowering, with many usually densely set bisexual or female flowers facing in all directions; peduncles 5–45 cm. long and 1–5 mm. thick, terete or somewhat flattened, green to reddish; spathe 5–20 mm. long, pale green with darker longitudinal lines (and sometimes spots). Flowers usually consisting of 2 tepals, 6 stamens and 3 ovaries (rarely no stamens and up to 7 ovaries in apomictic plants). Tuber oval, shortly cylindrical or irregularly shaped, 10–30 mm. long and 5–20 mm. thick, densely set with whitish roots above. Leaves few–many; petiole (except in var. graminifolius) 3–60 cm. long and 0.6–3 mm. thick, greenish, terete or somewhat compressed; blade usually oval to lanceolate, floating, with acute to obtuse tip and cuneate to truncate base, very rarely (only in var. cordatus) the base is prominently cordate, 3–12 cm. long and 0.5–5 cm. wide, green, but sometimes dark-spotted beneath; midrib very prominent on lower surface, parallel nerves 2–4 on each side of the midrib; very rarely the leaves sessile, linear and grass-like (in var. graminifolius). Plants monoecious. Seeds elliptic to elongate, 0.7–1.5 mm. long and 0.2–0.4 mm. wide, with longitudinal ridges, but not prominently winged; testa double. Tepals persistent or caducous, pinkish, mauve to bluish violet, rarely white (only in var. albiflorus), oval, obovate to ligulate, or with a narrow base and a wider upper part, 1–5 mm. long, with 1 nerve, rarely densely set with numerous reddish brown gland-dots (only in var. glanduliferus). Stamens 2–3 mm. long; filaments white or violet, somewhat thickened towards the base; anthers 0.2–0.4 mm. long and 0.2–0.3 mm. wide, violet to almost black, but pollen yellow. Inflorescence a bifid spike 10–50 mm. long and 2–8 mm. wide when flowering, with many usually densely set bisexual or female flowers facing in all directions; peduncles 5–45 cm. long and 1–5 mm. thick, terete or somewhat flattened, green to reddish; spathe 5–20 mm. long, pale green with darker longitudinal lines (and sometimes spots). Flowers usually consisting of 2 tepals, 6 stamens and 3 ovaries (rarely no stamens and up to 7 ovaries in apomictic plants). Tuber oval, shortly cylindrical or irregularly shaped, 10–30 mm. long and 5–20 mm. thick, densely set with whitish roots above. Leaves few–many; petiole (except in var. graminifolius) 3–60 cm. long and 0.6–3 mm. thick, greenish, terete or somewhat compressed; blade usually oval to lanceolate, floating, with acute to obtuse tip and cuneate to truncate base, very rarely (only in var. cordatus) the base is prominently cordate, 3–12 cm. long and 0.5–5 cm. wide, green, but sometimes dark-spotted beneath; midrib very prominent on lower surface, parallel nerves 2–4 on each side of the midrib; very rarely the leaves sessile, linear and grass-like (in var. graminifolius). Plants monoecious.