1. Hydrocharis Linnaeus, Sp. Pl. 2: 1036. 1753; Gen. Pl. ed. 5; 458, 1754.
Frog-bit [Greek hydr-, water, and chari, grace]
Plants perennial, of fresh waters. Rhizomes absent; stolons present. Stems floating on or suspended in water, rooted or not, unbranched, short. Leaves basal, emergent or floating, petiolate; blade cordate to reniform or orbiculate, base reniform or cordate, apex obtuse to almost truncate; midvein without rows of lacunae along sides, uniform in color throughout, abaxial surface without prickles, smooth on emergent leaves or with aerenchymous tissue on floating leaves; intravaginal squamules entire. Inflorescences 1-flowered or cymose, sessile or short-pedunculate; spathe not winged. Flowers unisexual, staminate and pistillate on different plants [on same plants], emersed, pedicellate; petals white to pinkish. Staminate flowers: filaments distinct or basally connate, distinct portion longer than connate; anthers oval; pollen in monads. Pistillate flowers: ovary 1-locular; styles 6, 2-fid less than ½ length. Fruits spheric, smooth to ridged, dehiscing irregularly. Seeds ellipsoid, minutely tuberculate or muricate.
Species 3 (1 in the flora): introduced, North America, Eurasia, Africa, Australia.
SELECTED REFERENCES
Cook, C. D. K. and R. Lüönd. 1982. A revision of the genus Hydrocharis (Hydrocharitaceae). Aquatic Bot. 14: 177--204. Roberts, M. L., R. L. Stuckey, and R. S. Mitchell. 1981. Hydrocharis morsus-ranae (Hydrocharitaceae) new to the United States. Rhodora 83: 147--148.
