Herbs, aquatic or terrestrial. Leaves spirally arranged, many ranked; blade linear to filiform, apex commonly 2-fid. Inflorescences: solitary flowers, morphologically terminal, soon appearing lateral because of sympodial growth of shoots. Flowers: sepals subvalvate; petals imbricate, shortly clawed; nectar and nectaries absent; stamens antisepalous; filaments slender, glabrous; anthers basifixed, sometimes at end of tubular, apical appendage; styles terminal; stigmas terminal. Fruits 3-valved. Seeds ovoid to globose; seed coat reticulate.

Species ca. 4 (1 in the flora): 3 in warm temperate to tropical America and 1 in w Africa.

SELECTED REFERENCES

Lourteig, A. 1952. Mayacaceae. Notul. Syst. (Paris. ) 14: 30--33. 1952. Lourteig, A. 1960. Distribution géographique des Mayacacées. Compt. Rend. Sommaire Séances Soc. Biogéogr. 323/2536[323]: 31--35. Thieret, J. W. 1975. The Mayacaceae in the southeastern United States. J. Arnold Arbor. 56: 248--255.

Lower Taxon

• Mayaca fluviatilis Aublet