Haloragidaceae
SHAHINA A. GHAZANFAR
National Herbarium, Agricultural Research Council, Islamabad.
Terrestrial and aquatic, hermaphrodite or monoecious, perennial herbs. Leaves alternate, opposite or whorled, pinnatisect, exstipulate. Flowers solitary or in spikes, minute, 4-merous, bracteate. Sepals 0-4, adnate to the ovary. Petals 0-4, caducous. Stamens 2,4 or 8. Ovary inferior, 1-4-locular; styles 1-4; stigmas plumose or papillose. Fruit a drupe or a schizocarp.
A fairly cosmopolitan family, comprising 6 genera and about 20 species; abundant in Australia. Represented in Pakistan by one genus.
Acknowledgements: We are grateful to the U.S. Department of Agriculture for financing this research under P.L. 480. Thanks are also due to Messrs. B.L.Burtt, I,C.Hedge and Miss J. Lamond of the Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh, for their helpful suggestions.
