Sagittaria latifolia Willd.

Authority

Haynes, Robert R. & Holm-Nielsen, Laurtiz B. 1994. The Alismataceae. Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 64: 1-228. (Published by NYBG Press)

Family

Alismataceae

Scientific Name

Sagittaria latifolia Willd.

Type

Type. Canada. Muhlenberg s.n. (holotype B-W; fragment, US).

Synonyms

Sagittaria obtusa Muhl. ex Willd., Sagittaria sagittifolia var. latifolia (Willd.) Muhl., Sagittaria latifolia var. major Pursh, Sagittaria hastata Pursh, Sagittaria gracilis Pursh, Sagittaria sagittifolia var. gracilis (Pursh) Torr., Sagittaria sagittifolia var. hastata (Pursh) Torr., Sagittaria sagittifolia var. macrophylla Hook., Sagittaria sagittifolia var. vulgaris Hook., Sagittaria variabilis Engelm., Sagittaria variabilis var. angustifolia Engelm., Sagittaria variabilis var. diversifolia Engelm., Sagittaria variabilis var. sagittifolia Engelm., Sagittaria sagittifolia var. variabilis (Engelm.) Micheli, Sagittaria latifolia var. glabra Buchenau, Sagittaria esculenta Howell, Sagitta latifolia (Willd.) Nieuwl., Sagittaria latifolia var. obtusa (Engelm.) Wiegand, Sagittaria ornithorhyncha Small, Sagittaria planipes Fernald, Sagittaria pubescens Muhl., Sagittaria sagittifolia var. pubescens (Muhl.) Torr., Sagittaria variabilis var. pubescens (Muhl.) Engelm., Sagittaria viscosa C.Mohr, Sagittaria variabilis Engelm.

Description

Species Description - Perennial herbs from stolons and/or corms, glabrous or pubescent, to 45 cm tall; stolons to 30 cm long, to 0.3 cm wide; corms 0.5-1 cm long, to 2 cm diam. Leaves emersed petiolate, the petioles triangular, 6.5-51 cm long, 2-8 mm wide, the basal sheath to 1.5-17.5 cm, the blades pale green, sagittate or rarely hastate, 1.5-30.5 cm long, 2-17 cm wide, the veins 7-13, the apex acute or rarely obtuse, the basal lobes present, 0.5-16.5 cm long, the tips separated by 1-23 cm, with 2-6 veins. Inflorescence a simple or rarely paniculate scape of 3-9 whorls, emersed, 4.5-28.5 cm long, 4-23 cm wide, the whorls with 3 flowers; peduncles triangular, 10-59 cm long, 0.5-0.7 mm diam.; staminate bracts united, elliptic, delicate, 3-5.5 mm long, the apex obtuse; carpellate bracts separate, lanceolate, delicate, 5.5-8 mm long, the apex obtuse; staminate pedicels spreading, cylindric, 0.8-2.5 cm long, 0.1-0.4 mm diam.; carpellate pedicels spreading in flower and fruit, cylindric, 0.5-3.5 cm long, 0.5-1 mm diam. Staminate flowers without sterile carpels, the sepals reflexed to spreading, 5-6 mm long, 3-4.5 mm wide, the petals clawed, 6-9 mm long, 4.5-5 mm wide, the claws ca. 1.5 mm long, the stamens 16-18, the filaments glabrous, cylindric, 1-3 mm long, 0.2-0.3 mm wide, the anthers linear, 1.2-1.9 mm long, 0.5-0.6 mm wide, the apex obtuse; carpellate flowers without ring of sterile stamens, the sepals reflexed in flower and fruit, ca. 1 cm long, ca. 0.8 cm wide, the petals clawed, ca. 18 mm long, ca. 12 mm wide, the claw ca. 0.5 mm long. Fruit aggregate 1-1.7 cm diam.; achenes oblanceolate, beaked, without keel, 2.5-3.5 mm long, to 2 mm wide, the faces etuberculate, with (0-)l(-2) glands, the beak lateral, horizontal, 1-2 mm long.

Discussion

Sagittaria latifolia has been divided into numerous species and varieties. Bogin (1955) and Rataj (1972) separate the species into two varieties based upon the presence or absence of pubescence over the entire vegetative plant. We have examined numerous specimens and find that many specimens from the southeastern United States are pubescent; we do not believe this character alone is worthy of taxonomic recognition.

Distribution

Throughout North America, south through Mexico, Central America, and northwestern South America.

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