Brasenia Schreb.
water shield
Cabombaceae
Hydrocleys, Hydrocotyle, Nymphoides
Australia, Africa, Asia, America
Brasenia schreberi J.F. Gmel.
Europe
not weedy
attached, stoloniferous plant with floating leaves
Perennial. Creeping, stoloniferous stem rooted at nodes. Leaves floating (seedling leaves submersedsubmersed:
see submerged
), alternatealternate:
(adj) (of leaves) bearing one leaf per node; placed singly on the stem at different heights
, peltatepeltate:
(adj) of usually flat organs such as leaves: having its stalk attached to its underside away from the margin, near the center
, with elongate petiolepetiole:
(n) the stalk of a leaf
; leaf bladeblade:
(n) (syn. lamina) the flat, expanded part of a leaf, frond, or petal (excluding, e.g., the petiole)
oval (5 cm wide x 8 cm long); marginmargin:
(n) edge; rim
entire. All submergedsubmerged:
(adj) (syn. submersed) under water; submerged below the water surface
plant parts covered with thick, clear, mucilaginous coating. Inflorescenceinflorescence:
(n) the arrangement of flowers on the floral axis
a solitary flower opening above water surface. Flower borne on elongate, axillaryaxillary:
(adj) in, of, or produced from an axil
pedicelpedicel:
(n) the stalk of a single flower in an inflorescence, or of a grass spikelet
; perianthperianth:
(n) collective term for the calyx and corolla of a flower; also used for floral whorl(s) in which the calyx and corolla cannot be resolved; any of the leaves or bracts surrounding the sex organs of bryophytes
of 6 to 8 segments, purple. Dispersal by stem fragments, hibernating turions and seed.
still waters such as lakes, canals, and swamps
Brasenia schreberi, the single species in this genus, is widely distributed and is closely related to Cabomba Aubl. The leaf shape and mucilagemucilage:
(n) a gelatinous substance produced by many different types of plants and algae, on various structures, such as stems or leaves
coating on red submergedsubmerged:
(adj) (syn. submersed) under water; submerged below the water surface
parts makes this plant easily identifiable.