Isoetes

Scientific name

Isoetes L.

Common names

quillwort

Family

Isoetaceae

Similar genera

Eleocharis, Isolepis, Juncus, Littorella, Triglochin

Native distribution

cosmopolitancosmopolitan:
(adj) essentially worldwide in distribution

Species cultivated

Isoetes lacustris L.

I. melanopoda Gay & Durieu

I. taiwanensis DeVol

I. velata A. Braun

Adventive distribution

information not available

Weed status

not weedy

Habit

submergedsubmerged:
(adj) (syn. submersed) under water; submerged below the water surface
or emergentemergent:
(adj) (syn. emersed) with parts raised out of the water; extending up out of the water
, narrowed-leaved rosetterosette:
(n) a radiating cluster of leaves, usually close to the ground at the base of a plant
, grass-like lycopod

Brief description

Perennial. Stem compact. Leaves in basalbasal:
(adj) at or pertaining to the base, or point of attachment
rosetterosette:
(n) a radiating cluster of leaves, usually close to the ground at the base of a plant
, linear, with spathulatespathulate:
(adj) (or spatulate) spoon-shaped
base, transverse septae. Sporangiasporangium:
(n) (pl. sporangia) a unicellular or multicellular sac or structure that produces spores
develop inside leaf base, naked and covered with membranous tissue (velumvelum:
(n) a membranous, protective flap covering the sporangium (as in Isoetes)
), spores dimorphic in separate sporangiasporangium:
(n) (pl. sporangia) a unicellular or multicellular sac or structure that produces spores
. Dispersal by spores.

Natural habitat

shallow waters of lakes and ponds

Additional comments

A lycopod (in the division Lycopodiophyta, a division of non seed-bearing vascular plants) related to ferns and horsetails. Isoetes is sometimes cultivated for ponds or aquaria.