Root fibrous. Leaves thin, transparent, light green, submerged to partly emergent or floating, lamina variable in shape and size, submerged ones oblong-lanceolate, attenuate to short petiole, floating leaves broadly ovate to nearly orbicular, 6-20 (-22) cm long, 4.5-16 (-20) cm wide, shallow to deep cordate at the base, apex obtuse; veins 7-10, parallel convergent; petioles 8-50 cm long, triangular, with pale broad sheath at the base. Spathe elliptic-ovate, 2.5-4.5 (-6) cm long, 2-lobed, lobes acute, glabrous, lengthwise 5.10-winged or occasionally only ribbed, wings somewhat flat or wavy; peduncle; 10-30 cm long, 4-5-angled. Flowers bisexual, sessile, solitary. Sepals linear-oblong, 10-16 mm long, 2-4 mm wide, obtuse, persistent. Petals obovate or suborbicular, 2-3 mm long, 2-2.5 cm broad, obtuse, white with yellow spot at the base. Stamens 6 (-9), filaments c. 4 mm long, glandular-hairy; anthers basifixed, linear. Styles 6-9, each split into 2 unequal, papillate or ± hairy branches. Fruit rostrate, oblong-elliptic, 2-4 cm long, c. 3-4 cm in diameter. Seeds fusiform, 1-2 mm long.

Fl. Per.: Throughout the year.

Type: “Habitat in India” Herb. Linn. 703.2 (LINN).

Distribution: N.E. Africa eastwards to Malayasia, tropical Australia, Japan and the Solomon Islands; introduced and naturalized in N. Italy in the ricefields.

Not yet found in Pakistan but it may possibly occur in N.E. districts of Lahore, Kasur and Sheikhupura. Stewart, l.c. found it at Gurdaspur and Koelz collected it at Keshapur (E. Punjab) near the Pakistan border.