Mayaca

Scientific name

Mayaca Aubl.

Common names

stream bogmoss

Family

Mayacaceae

Similar genera

Bacopa, Egeria, Hydrothrix, Lagarosiphon, Myriophyllum, Rotala

Native distribution

Africa, America

Species cultivated

Mayaca fluviatilis Aubl. (M. aubletii Michx., M. vandellii Schott & Endl.)

M. sellowiana Kunth

Adventive distribution

few records; recently recorded ouside a nursery setting in Australia

Weed status

not weedy

Habit

submersedsubmersed:
see submerged
or amphibiousamphibious:
(adj) of a plant able to live on land or in water
, emergentemergent:
(adj) (syn. emersed) with parts raised out of the water; extending up out of the water
in littorallittoral:
(adj) of or along the shore
zone

Brief description

Perennialperennial:
(adj) (of a plant) having a life cycle of more than two years
or sometimes annual. Stems narrow. Leaves caulinecauline:
(adj) pertaining to or belonging to the stem
, numerous, spirally arranged; leaf bladeblade:
(n) (syn. lamina) the flat, expanded part of a leaf, frond, or petal (excluding, e.g., the petiole)
linear, needle-like (when submersedsubmersed:
see submerged
), lanceolatelanceolate:
(adj) lance-shaped; widest point below the middle, tapering to the apex
(when emersedemersed:
see emergent
), short or elongate, notched at apexapex:
(n) the point farthest from the point of attachment; the tip (often pointed)
, single vein; marginmargin:
(n) edge; rim
entire. Inflorescenceinflorescence:
(n) the arrangement of flowers on the floral axis
axillary on emergentemergent:
(adj) (syn. emersed) with parts raised out of the water; extending up out of the water
stems. Flowers solitary, bisexualbisexual:
(adj) having both male and female sexual reproductive structures on one individual or in one flower
, actinomorphicactinomorphic:
(adj) of flowers, having radial symmetry; capable of being bisected into identifical halves along more than one axis
, pedicellatepedicellate:
(adj) borne on a pedicel
, subtended by membranous bracts; pedicelspedicel:
(n) the stalk of a single flower in an inflorescence, or of a grass spikelet
long, usually reflexedreflexed:
(adj) abruptly curved or bent downward
after flowering; sepals 3, lanceolatelanceolate:
(adj) lance-shaped; widest point below the middle, tapering to the apex
; petals 3, obovateobovate:
(adj) ovate, with the narrow end at the base
, pink, purple or white. Dispersal by seed or stem fragments.

Natural habitat

rivers, lakes, and swamps; also found emersedemersed:
see emergent
on wet ground

Additional comments

A genus containing six species mostly from America, but also represented by at least one species in Africa; only two species commonly traded.