Limnocharis

Scientific name

Limnocharis Bonpl.

Common names

yellow burr headhead:
(n) inflorescence consisting of small closely packed stalkless flowers or florets arising at the same level on a flattened axis; of several types, including: discoid (composed entirely of disk flowers) and radiate (composed of central disk flowers and marginal ray flowers)
, bur headhead:
(n) inflorescence consisting of small closely packed stalkless flowers or florets arising at the same level on a flattened axis; of several types, including: discoid (composed entirely of disk flowers) and radiate (composed of central disk flowers and marginal ray flowers)
, yellow sawah lettuce, sawah-flowering rush

Family

Alismataceae

Similar genera

Eichhornia, Hydrocharis, Hydrocleys, Limnobium, Monochoria, Pontederia

Native distribution

tropical America, Caribbean

Species cultivated

Limnocharis flava (L.) Buchenau

Adventive distribution

Limnocharis flava is established in India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, China, Singapore, with periodic outbreaks in Australia.

Weed status

Limnocharis flava is declared a prohibited weed in several countries.

Habit

emergentemergent:
(adj) (syn. emersed) with parts raised out of the water; extending up out of the water
and rooted or floating in mats, broad-leaved rosetterosette:
(n) a radiating cluster of leaves, usually close to the ground at the base of a plant
plant

Brief description

Perennialperennial:
(adj) (of a plant) having a life cycle of more than two years
or annual. Plants floating or rooted and emergentemergent:
(adj) (syn. emersed) with parts raised out of the water; extending up out of the water
. Leaves in a rosetterosette:
(n) a radiating cluster of leaves, usually close to the ground at the base of a plant
; petiolepetiole:
(n) the stalk of a leaf
thick, triangular in cross-section; leaf bladeblade:
(n) (syn. lamina) the flat, expanded part of a leaf, frond, or petal (excluding, e.g., the petiole)
lanceolatelanceolate:
(adj) lance-shaped; widest point below the middle, tapering to the apex
, ovateovate:
(adj) egg-shaped in outline; generally with the broad end at or near the base
to suborbicular, venationvenation:
(n) the arrangement of veins in a leaf
palmate with prominent mid-vein and numerous cross-veins; base squared, rounded or cordatecordate:
(adj) heart-shaped; in the form of two rounded lobes
. Inflorescenceinflorescence:
(n) the arrangement of flowers on the floral axis
a 2-15 flowered umbelumbel:
(n) a flat to convex inflorescence in which the flower pedicels (called rays) all arise from the same point
on an elongate pedunclepeduncle:
(n) the stalk of a flower cluster or inflorescence
yet shorter than the leaves. Sepals 3, green; petals, 3 yellow; stamens numerous. Dispersal by production of numerous seeds.

Natural habitat

shallow waters of lakes, ponds, and rivers

Additional comments

Limnocharis flava is the most commonly traded member of the genus. The other species from Central America, Limnocharis laforestii Duchass. ex Griseb., is not presently cultivated for ponds. It is differentiated from L. flava by the smaller flower size and the narrower leaves. Limnocharis flava is also known as puck-pai, an herb used in cooking in Thailand. Limnocharis was formerly placed in the family Limnocharitaceae.