Pontederiaceae

Water Hyacinth ( Eichhornia crassipes ), inflorescence

The water hyacinth plants ( Pontederiaceae ) are a family in the order of Commelina -like ( Commelinales ) within the monocot plants ( monocots ). This marsh or aquatic plants have an almost worldwide distribution; some species are invasive plants in the tropics.

  • 4.1 Notes and references

Description

Habit and foliage leaves

There are herbaceous plants, mostly they are enduring, but there are also annual species. The plant are more or less succulent. These water or marsh plants are free flutend (floating) or anchored in the ground with roots. Stems or leaf stalks are often spongy inside to enclose air for better buoyancy.

The leaves are all formed distributed to the shoot base or stem. They are usually alternate and spiral or double-spaced, arranged in whorls rare. The leaves can be immersed ( submerged ) or water ( emersed ) be ( depending on the type ). Most species have well-trained sheets in Hydrothrix the leaves are greatly reduced. The foliage leaves are simple and stalked with tubed leaf sheaths. The most simple leaf blades are very different in shape and parallel to mains annoying. The leaf margin is smooth. Only Hydrothrix the leaf blade is dissected in uneven filamentous strands. The stomata are paracytisch.

Inflorescences and flowers

The flowers are borne singly or in differently constructed inflorescences. Often two bracts ( bracts ) are present.

The small to medium sized flowers are hermaphroditic, ternate and radial symmetry to strongly zygomorphic. There are two circles, each with three bloom cladding available; they are the same - to markedly different and multifarious are free or fused Roehrig at their base. All bloom a flower have the same color: white, purple, blue or rarely yellow. There are usually one or two circles, each with three free stamens present; they are equal to distinctly different. Either all stamens fertile or two or three are transformed into staminodes. For example, in Hydrothrix only a fertiles stamen is present. The three carpels are a superior ovaries fused with one or three chambers, with one to 50 ovules per chamber. The style ends in a three-lobed stigma capitate or tiny. Pollination is mostly by insects ( entomophily ), except for the cleistogamous Heteranthera and Hydrothrix.

Fruit and seeds

Are formed dreifächerige capsule fruits or nuts. The small seeds contain starch and are ribbed or smooth.

Ingredients and chromosome numbers

There are proanthocyanidins: cyanidin and / or delphinidin available. The chromosome number is n = 8, 14, 15

Systematics and distribution

The home ranges from the tropics to warm temperate zones, particularly the New World. Some species have been implicated as ornamental plants in other areas and tend to become overgrown, partially displacing other species and weedy waters, then more silt or navigational even impeding ( invasive plants).

The first publication of the Pontederiaceae was made under the name Pontedereae 1815/16 by Karl Sigismund Kunth in Nova Genera et Species Plantarum, 4th Edition, Volume 1, p.265 type genus is Pontederia L..

The types of previous family Heterantheraceae JGAgardh are today than Tribus Heteranthereae JGAgardh to Pontederiaceae.

To the family of water hyacinth plants ( Pontederiaceae ) include six (previously up to nine) genera with up to 30 species:

  • Water hyacinth ( Eichhornia Kunth ): With approximately seven kinds mainly in the Neotropics. You are neophytes in many tropical countries.
  • Trugkölbchen ( Heteranthera Ruiz & Pav ): (including Eurystemon Alexander and Zosterella Small) With about twelve species, of which eleven in the New World and in Africa. With only three fertile stamens.
  • Hydrothrix Hook. f: With just one more way: Hydrothrix gardneri Hook. f: The home is the eastern Brazil. It is an annual plant that fully immersed ( submerged ) grows. Their flowers, with only one fertile stamen, stay under water and there is self- pollinating ( cleistogamous ).
  • Scholleropsis lutea H.Perrier: It occurs only in Madagascar.

Use

Overall, the species of this family have so far been little used.

From the Dickstieligen water hyacinth ( Eichhornia crassipes ), young inflorescences, leaf blades and stalks are eaten boiled, but should be tasteless, but they are due to the high content of carotenes eaten as a vegetable in Taiwan. Since Eichhornia crassipes quickly grow on water surfaces has begun to use them as a source of biomass for biogas production and / or as fertilizer.

From Herzblättrigen Pickerel Weed ( Pontederia cordata), the seeds are raw, roasted or eaten as cooked rice or they will dry ground. The green parts of the plant are eaten raw ( in salads ) or cooked ( such as spinach ).

Some species are used as ornamental plants for ponds and rare in aquariums.

Swell

  • The Pontederiaceae in APWebsite family. (Section Description and systematics)
  • The Pontederiaceae at DELTA of L.Watson and MJDallwitz family. ( Description section )
  • Guofang Wu & Charles N. Horn: Pontederiaceae in the Flora of China, Volume 24, page 40: Online. ( Description section )
  • Charles N. Horn: Pontederiaceae in the Flora of North America, Volume 26, p 37: Online. ( Description section )
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