Elatinaceae
ABDUL GHAFOOR and
*S.I. ALI
Department of Botany, D.J. Sind Govt. Science College, Karachi *Department of Botany, University of Karachi, Karachi
Annual or perennial herbs or undershrubs, sometimes aquatic or semi-aquatic. Leaves opposite or verticillate, simple, stipulate, entire or serrate. Inflorescence solitary axillary or a fasciculate cyme. Flowers small, bisexual, actinomorphic, hypogynous. Sepals 3-5, rarely 2 or 6, free or basally connate, imbricate. Petals 3-5, rarely 2 or 6, free, hypogynous, imbricate. Stamens as many as or twice the number of petals in 1-2 whorls, alternating with the petals, hypogynous, free; anthers versatile, dithecous, dehiscence longitudinal. Carpels 3-5, united; ovary superior, 3-5 locular, placentation axile, ovules numerous in two or more rows on each placenta, anatropous; styles 3-5, rarely 2, free. Fruit a septicidal or a septifragal capsule. Seed and embryo straight or curved, without or with very little endosperm.
2 genera and about 40 species; tropical and temperate in distribution. One genus and 3 species are reported from W. Pakistan.
Acknowledgements: We are grateful to the united states Department of Agriculture for financing this research under P.L. 480. Thanks are also due to Mr. B L. Burtt of the Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh for his helpful suggestions.
