Echinodorus longiscapus

Echinodorus longiscapus is a perennial, aquatic plant of the Alismataceae, native to South America (Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay and Argentina).^[1] It is cultivated as a pond or aquarium plant.

Echinodorus longiscapus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Monocots
Order:	Alismatales
Family:	Alismataceae
Genus:	Echinodorus
Species:	E. longiscapus
Binomial name
Echinodorus longiscapus Archavaleta
Synonyms[1]
Echinodorus grandiflorus var. longiscapus (Arechav.) Hauman Echinodorus sellowianus Buchenau in H.G.A.Engler Echinodorus sellowianus var. major Buchenau in H.G.A.Engler Echinodorus sellowianus var. minor Buchenau in H.G.A.Engler Echinodorus sellowianus var. longiscapus (Arechav.) Buchenau in H.G.A.Engler Echinodorus longiscapus var. major Herter Echinodorus longiscapus var. minor (Buchenau) Tronc. Echinodorus aschersonianus var. nulliglandulosus Rataj

Description

Leaves long-petioled, petioles 1.5 - 3 x longer than the blades. Blades oval, ovate or cordate, at the tip obtuse or shortly acuminate, at the base lobate or abrupt, 9 – 11 cm long x 7 – 8 cm wide, in the terrestrial forms often only 3 cm long x 2 cm wide. Submersed blades oval or ovate, often nearly rounded. Blades trimmed with pellucid lines to 2 mm long. Stem erect, longer than the leaves, glabrous or rarely scabrous, 30 – 80 cm long. Inflorescence racemose having 3 - 9 whorls containing 6 - 12 flowers each, proliferous. Bracts as long as the pedicels, or hardly longer, to 1.5 cm long, having 9 - 11 ribs and membraneous margins. Pedicels usually 1 - (2.5) cm long, sepals 5 – 6 mm long having 16 - 20 undistinct ribs, petals white, 1.7 – 2 cm long, corolla 2.5 – 4 cm in diameter. Stamens 20 - 25, anthers as long as the filaments, pistils numerous. Aggregate fruit globular or ovate, 5 – 7 mm in diameter. Achenes 2 - 2.3 mm long x 0.9 – 1 mm wide having usually 4 lateral ribs and (1) - 3 glands placed in a row in the upper half of the body. Beak erect or bent, 0.5 mm long.^[2][3][4]

Cultivation

Propagated by division or adventitious plantlets. Seeds germinate freely. Easy to cultivate and seems to withstand a wide range of water conditions and temperatures.^{[citation needed]}

References

1. "World Checklist of Selected Plant Families: Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew". apps.kew.org. Retrieved 2017-01-27.
2. Arechavaleta y Balpardo, José. 1903. Anales del Museo Nacional de Montevideo 4(1): 67–68, t. 2
3. Rataj, K. 1969. Echinodorus longiscapus Arech. y su dispersión en la América latina. Darwiniana 15:183–188.
4. Caccavari, M. 1983. Boletín de la Sociedad Argentina de Botánica 22(1–4): 247, figs. 1–2.

External links

• South American distribution