KHADIJA AZIZ

Hippuris vulgaris Illustration

Aquatic or subaquatic perennial herbs with linear, verticillate, exstipulate leaves. Flowers minute, sessile, solitary axillary, mostly bisexual or polygamous. Perianth none or inconspicuous round the top of the ovary. Androecium of 1 stamen, anterior. Ovary inferior, mono-carpellary, 1-celled, 1-ovuled; ovule solitary, apical, pendulous, anatropous with single integument; style 1, filiform, stigmatic down one side; stigma papillose. Fruit a 1-seeded achene.

An unigeneric family with 1-3 species, cosmopolitan in distribution.

Acknowledgement: We are grateful to the United States Department of Agriculture for financing this research under P.L. 480. Thanks are also due to Dr. J.E. Dandy (BM), Mr. B.L. Burtt (Edinburgh) and Dr. S. M. H. Jafri for helpful suggestions.

Lower Taxon

• Hippuris Linn.