Thalassia (genus)

Drawing of Thalassia hemprichii

Thalassia is a plant genus in the family of the frog bite plants ( Hydrocharitaceae ).

Description

Thalassia species are perennial, herbaceous, marine underwater plants. The rhizome is extended, crawling and has scales and longer internodes. From them spring upright, short and leaf- like shoots. The usually 2-6 leaves are distichous and ribbon-like or slightly sickle-shaped. 9 to 15, the sheet cores are in parallel and connected to each other through other conductors. The leaf base is scheidig. The inflorescence is stalked and flowered. The 2 Spathas are fused together. The plants are dioecious and the flowers unisexual. Male flowers are stalked. There are three bracts present, and 3-12 stamens. The anthers are 2 - to 4 - thekig and nearly sessile. The pollen grains are spherical, and adhered to each other in perlschnurartigen chains. The female flowers are almost sessile. The ovary is single chamber. Each of the 6 pen has two threadlike scars. The fruits are spherical or elliptical. There are many seeds available.

Dissemination

The genus occurs in the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico and in the Indian and western Pacific Ocean.

System

Within the genus Thalassia two types are distinguished:

Documents

  • Qingfeng Wang, Youhao Guo, Robert R. Haynes, C. Barre Hellquist: Thalassia. In: Flora of China Vol 23 Hydrocharitaceae, p 91 (online)
Joseph Banks Ovary (botany)
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