The World Flora Online

Herbes aquatiques, à rhizome enraciné et portant les feuilles. Feuilles en rosette basale ou alternes, exstipulées; pétiole souvent engaînant à la base; limbe simple ou 3-foliolée, à marge entière ou crénelée. Inflorescence cymeuse, paniculée, en glomérules ou à fleurs solitaires. Fleurs actinomorphes, bi- ou unisexuées, (4-)5-mères, parfois hétérostyles; sépales presque libres, persistants, à préfloraison imbriqués; corolle gamopétale, souvent ornée de crêtes ou fimbriée; étamines alternant avec les lobes de la corolle, (4-)5, parfois alternant avec des glandes interstaminales, filets insérés sur le tube, anthères dorsifixes, biloculaires, souvent sagittées, déhiscentes par fentes longitudinales; ovaire supère, 2(-5)-carpellé, uniloculaire, à ovules nombreux sur 2 placentas pariétaux; style 2-lobé; disque ou nectaires présents. Fruit capsulaire, à déhiscence régulière ou irrégulière. Graines quelques ou nombreuses, parfois ailées, albuminées, à embryon petit.

Herbes'aquatiques, à souche enracinée.'Feuilles'flottantes ou dressées au-dessus des eaux peu profondes, simples ou composées ( Menyanthes ), à marges entières ou crénelées, alternes ou en rosette, souvent engainantes à la base.'Inflorescences'en panicules ou en glomérules lâches ou contractés, de nature généralement cymeuse, ou fleurs isolées.'Fleurs'actinomorphes, hermaphrodites ou unisexuées, typiquement 5-mères mais souvent pléiomères; sépales libres ou presque, à préfloraison imbriquée; corolle gamopétale, à tube souvent bref, généralement ornée de crêtes, de marges membraneuses, de franges villeuses ou d'une pilosité villeuse, et portant parfois, outre les filets staminaux adnés à son tube, des glandes interstaminales; étamines en nombre égal à celui des lobes de la corolle, alternant avec eux; anthères biloculaires, déhiscentes par fentes longitudinales; ovaire supère, 2(-5)-carpellé.'Fruits'capsulaires, à développement aquatique ou aérien.'Graines souvent nombreuses, albuminées.\n\t\t\tFamille formée de 5 genres réunissant 40 à 50 espèces; trois de ces genres sont monospécifiques :'Menyanthes'(zone tempérée nord),'Fauria'(amphipacifique à aire discontinue et peu étendue) et'Liparophyllum'(Tasmanie et Nouvelle Zélande); les deux autres genres sont représentés en Afrique :'Villarsia'(Afrique australe mais surtout Australie) et'Nymphoides'qui, avec plus de 30 espèces, se trouve dans le monde entier. Pour la Flore : un seul genre,'Nymphoides .

Corolla-lobes valvate or induplicate-valvate, margins on inside sometimes fimbriate Leaves alternate, entire or 3-foliolate, sometimes orbicular and peltate Flowers hermaphrodite, actinomorphic Seeds with copious endosperm and small embryo Fruit a 4 or 2-valved capsule, or fleshy and indehiscent Ovules few to numerous Style 1, bifid at the apex Ovary superior 1-celled, with 2 parietal placentas Stamens inserted towards the base of the tube or between the lobes; anthers 2-celled, sagittate or versatile Aquatic or marsh, herbs Leaves alternate, entire or 3-foliolate, sometimes orbicular and peltate Flowers hermaphrodite, actinomorphic Seeds with copious endosperm and small embryo Fruit a 4 or 2-valved capsule, or fleshy and indehiscent Ovules few to numerous Style 1, bifid at the apex Ovary superior 1-celled, with 2 parietal placentas Stamens inserted towards the base of the tube or between the lobes; anthers 2-celled, sagittate or versatile Aquatic or marsh, herbs

Ovary superior, unilocular with 2(5) parietal placentas Fruit a capsule, dehiscent or not Seeds often numerous, with endosperm Corolla gamopetalus, often with a short tube, lobes membranous, often fimbricate or pilose Sepals free or almost so, imbricate in bud Stamens as many as corolla lobes and alternate with them; anthers dithecous, opening by longitudinal slits Aquatic herbs, with tufted rootstock or horizontal creeping rhizomes Leaves floating or submersed, alternate or in a rosette, simple or compound, entire or crenulate; stipules small, rounded, scarious, or inconspicuous Flowers in panicles, racemes, fascicles or solitary; actinomorphic, generally 5-merous, hermaphrodite or unisexual Fruit a capsule, dehiscent or not Seeds often numerous, with endosperm Corolla gamopetalus, often with a short tube, lobes membranous, often fimbricate or pilose Sepals free or almost so, imbricate in bud Stamens as many as corolla lobes and alternate with them; anthers dithecous, opening by longitudinal slits Aquatic herbs, with tufted rootstock or horizontal creeping rhizomes Leaves floating or submersed, alternate or in a rosette, simple or compound, entire or crenulate; stipules small, rounded, scarious, or inconspicuous Flowers in panicles, racemes, fascicles or solitary; actinomorphic, generally 5-merous, hermaphrodite or unisexual

Fls perfect (or sometimes functionally unisexual and the plants dioecious), regular, sympetalous, 5-merous; cor-lobes valvate or induplicate-valvate or imbricate, the margins of the inner surface often fimbriate or crested; stamens attached to the cor-tube alternate with the lobes, sometimes alternating with a set of fringed scales; ovary bicarpellate, superior to half inferior, unilocular, with a terminal style and 2-lobed stigma; ovules numerous on the 2 parietal (often intruded) placentas; fr a capsule or berry; seeds with a linear, axile, dicotyledonous embryo and copious, oily endosperm; aquatic or semi-aquatic herbs, often with scattered vascular bundles in the stem; lvs alternate, simple or trifoliolate, exstipulate (but the petiole sometimes wing-margined toward the base). 5/30–35, cosmop.

Herbs perennial [or annual], aquatic or nearly so. Leaves alternate, rarely opposite, simple or 3foliolate; stipules absent. Flowers (4 or) 5merous. Calyx lobes free or united. Corolla lobes united, valvate in bud. Stamens 5, free, alternate with petals. Ovary 1celled. Pollen grains bilaterally compressed, ± triquetrous, with 3 apertures. Ovary superior, 1celled. Fruit a dehiscent or indehiscent capsule. Seeds few to many, sometimes winged; endosperm abundant.

Calyx 5(-8)-lobed or -partite Flowers bisexual, rarely unisexual, solitary, paired, racemose or fasciculate or in many-flowered cymes, panicles, or involucrate heads Leaves floating or submerged, alternate, entire or trifoliate; petiole sheathing at the base Aquatic or marsh herbs with a tufted rootstock or creeping rhizome Stamens 5(-8), inserted towards the base of the tube or between the corolla-lobes; anthers 2-thecous, sagittate and versatile Corolla sympetalous, 5(-8)-lobed; lobes valvate or induplicate-valvate, margins or inside sometimes fimbriate or crested Ovary superior to semi-inferior, 1-locular with 2(-5) parietal placentas; style 1, 2(-5)-fid at the apex Nectaries usually present, hypogynous Seeds few-numerous, winged or not, with copious endosperm and small embryo Fruit a capsule, usually 4- or 2-valved, rarely fleshy or pulpy and indehiscent Flowers bisexual, rarely unisexual, solitary, paired, racemose or fasciculate or in many-flowered cymes, panicles, or involucrate heads Leaves floating or submerged, alternate, entire or trifoliate; petiole sheathing at the base Aquatic or marsh herbs with a tufted rootstock or creeping rhizome Stamens 5(-8), inserted towards the base of the tube or between the corolla-lobes; anthers 2-thecous, sagittate and versatile Corolla sympetalous, 5(-8)-lobed; lobes valvate or induplicate-valvate, margins or inside sometimes fimbriate or crested Ovary superior to semi-inferior, 1-locular with 2(-5) parietal placentas; style 1, 2(-5)-fid at the apex Nectaries usually present, hypogynous Seeds few-numerous, winged or not, with copious endosperm and small embryo Fruit a capsule, usually 4- or 2-valved, rarely fleshy or pulpy and indehiscent

A family of 5 genera and ± 40 SPECIES with a cosmopolitan distribution. A single genus is found in tropical Africa. The family is sometimes included within Gentianaceae, but significant differences have been found and in Cronquist’ s classification (Evol. & Class. Fl. Pl., ed. 2 (1988)) it is included within the Solanales rather than the Gentianales