Flora of Oregon

Herbs perennial or annual, to 100 cm, glabrous to sparsely pubescent.

Roots rhizomes present or not; stolons and corms present, tubers present or not.

Leaves emersed, floating or submersed; blades linear to ovate, apex acute to rounded, margins entire.

Inflorescences racemes or panicles; lower nodes with pistillate or bisexual flowers, staminate flowers above; bracts present.

Flowers sepals 3–10 mm, reflexed to appressed; petals white, with or without spot at base, entire; stamens 7–30, filaments glabrous; pistils many, arranged spirally on receptacle.

Fruits compressed, up to 4 mm long, winged or ridged.

2n=22.

Cosmopolitan. Approximately 30 species; 3 species treated in Flora.

This genus is important as food for wildlife. Beavers, muskrats, and porcupines feed on the whole plants, including the starchy tubers of some species. Ducks and other waterfowl eat the seeds. Some species are deliberately planted in hunting areas. Sagittaria platyphylla has recently (2014) been reported in Portland. How widespread it is and how persistent it may be are currently unknown.

Flora of North America

as described under Sagittaria

Plants perennial, rarely annual, submersed, floating-leaved, or emersed, glabrous to sparsely pubescent; rhizomes often present, occasionally terminated by tubers; stolons often present; corms absent; tubers white to brown, smooth. Roots septate. Leaves sessile or petiolate; petiole terete to triangular; blade with translucent markings absent, linear to obovate, base attenuate to hastate or sagittate, margins entire, apex round to acute. Inflorescences racemes, panicles, rarely umbels, of 1--17 whorls, erect, emersed or floating, rarely submersed; bracts coarse or delicate, apex obtuse to acute, smooth or papillose proximally to distally. Flowers unisexual, the proximal rarely with ring of sterile stamens; staminate flowers pedicellate, distal to pistillate flowers; pistillate flowers mostly pedicellate, rarely sessile; bracts subtending pedicels, lanceolate, shorter than pedicels, apex obtuse to acute; pedicels ascending to recurved; receptacle convex; sepals recurved in staminate flowers, recurved to erect in pistillate flowers, often sculptured, herbaceous to leathery; petals white, rarely with pink spot or tinge, entire; stamens 7--30; filaments linear to dilated, glabrous to pubescent; pistils to 1500 or more, spirally arranged, not radiating in starlike pattern, distinct; ovules 1; styles terminal. Fruits without longitudinal ribs, compressed, abaxially keeled or not, abaxial wings often present, lateral wing often present, 1, curved, glands present. x = 11.