Home | > | List of families | > | Hydrocharitaceae | > | Ottelia | > | muricata |
Synonyms: |
Boottia aschersoniana Gürke Boottia muricata C.H. Wright |
Common names: | |
Frequency: | |
Status: | Native |
Description: |
Aquatic herb. All green parts with prickles. Leaves submerged, linear to narrowly oblanceolate, 25-60(-100) cm long, bright green to brownish-green, margin with coarse prickles; petiole not clearly differentiated from blade. Inflorescences unisexual on different plants, appearing above the surface of the water, peduncles up to 125 cm long, bearing coarse prickles. Male spathes up to 12-flowered, subcylindric to ellipsoid-oblong, 25-51 mm long, 2.5-4 times longer than wide, with 7-10 longitudinal ridges, bearing prickles; sepals lanceolate, 10-15 mm long; petals broadly obovate, white with a yellow base and sometimes pinkish veins. Female inflorescences 1-flowered; spathes narrowly cylindric, not inflated, 40-70 mm long, mostly 10-15 times longer than wide, with 6-9 prickly ridges; sepals linear, 13-22 mm long, with purple streaks; petals obovate, white. |
Type location: |
Botswana |
Notes: | |
Derivation of specific name: | muricata: muricate (rough, with sharp tubercles or protuberances) |
Habitat: | |
Altitude range: | |
Flowering time: | |
Worldwide distribution: | Angola, Botswana, DRC (Luapula River), Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe. |
Zambian distribution (Flora Zambesiaca): | B,N,S |
Zambian distribution (Provinces): | N,S,W |
Growth form(s): | Aquatic. |
Endemic status: | |
Red data list status: | |
Insects associated with this species: | |
Spot characters: | Display spot characters for this species |
Literature: |
Mapaura, A. & Timberlake, J. (eds) (2004). A checklist of Zimbabwean vascular plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 33 Sabonet, Pretoria and Harare Page 91. Setshogo, M.P. (2005). Preliminary checklist of the plants of Botswana. Sabonet Report no. 37. Sabonet, Pretoria and Gaborone Page 124. Symoens, J.J. (2009). Hydrocharitaceae Flora Zambesiaca 12(2) Pages 39 - 41. (Includes a picture). Timberlake, J.R. & Childes, S.L. (2004). Biodiversity of the Four Corners Area: Technical Reviews Volume Two (Chapter 5-15) Appendix 5-1: Plant Checklist Occasional Publications in Biodiversity 15 Page 185. |
Home | > | List of families | > | Hydrocharitaceae | > | Ottelia | > | muricata |