Eichhornia diversifolia
Content
Description
Annual, rooted in mud. Vegetative stem elongate, developing to and growing at the water surface; flowering stem glabrous, 1.5-3 cm long. Sessile leaves alternate, linear, acuminate at apex, 3.5-7 cm long; petiolate leaves floating, blade rounded to cordate, 1.3-3.2 cm long, 0.6-4 cm wide with an obtuse to acute apex and a cordate base; petiole 2.5-5 cm long. Inflorescence a spike with 2-4 flowers, all opening the same day; peduncle glabrous, 0.9-1.9 cm long; spathe linear1.3-1.9 cm long. Flowers blue, tube 8-15 mm long, tepals obtuse to acute at apex, 4-10 mm long, the central upper tepal dark toward base with a yellow spot above; upper stamens 2.5-6 mm long, lower stamens 5.1-7.6 mm long, anthers 0.7-1.3 mm long; ovary 1-3 mm long, stigma capitate, pilose; homostylous. Capsule 6-10 mm long; seeds 0.4-1 mm long, 0.2-0.5 mm widewith 9-12longitudinal wings.
Distribution
Guianas present present, South America present, Southern America: Colombia (Colombia present); Ecuador (Ecuador present); Nicaragua (Nicaragua present); Venezuela (Venezuela present)
Central America (south from Nicaragua) and South America (Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela, the Guianas and Brazil to 15° S); over 100 collecions studied, 48 from the Guianas (GU: 19; SU: 16; FG: 13).
Notes
Jonker-Verhoef (1968) included Heteranthera zosterifolia Martius in her treatment of the family for the Flora of Suriname. This was based on the collection, Geijskes 12 from the Litani River. Observations of the specimens (NY, U) reveal they are clearly of Eichhornia diversifolia . The specimen at U is vegetative with only sessile leaves; however, the NY speci- men has several petiolate leaves and flowers.