Habit: Aquatics growing in or on water, Aquatic submerged, Aquatic emergent, Aquatic leaves floating, Aquatic fresh water, Herbaceous, Perennials

Roots: Rhizomes, Tubers, Sap clear

Stems: elongate, contracted, aerenchyma

Leaves: Leaves - petiolate, Leaves - sheathing at base, Leaves - sheath open, Leaves - simple, Leaves - basal (rosette), Leaves - alternate, Leaves - spiral, Leaves - blade broad, Leaves - venetion parallel, Leaves - soft, Leaves - margins entire

Inflorescence: lateral or axillary, scapose, spikes, subtended by large spathe (leaf-like bract), Flowers sessile

Flowers: Flowers unisexual, Plants dioecious, Plants monoecious, Perianth present, Perianth absent, Flowers small, Flowers 3 merous, Flowers actinomorphic

Sepals/Tepals: Tepals 6 (Sepals indistinguishable from petals)

Petals/Tepals: Petals 6, Petals mostly separate, Petals white (to pinkish), Petals yellow, Petals greenish, Petals blue to purple

Stamens: Stamens 6 (3+3)

Pistil: Carpels separate (apocarpous), Carpels 3, Ovary superior, Styles 1, Stigma lateral, Locules 1, Placentation basal (or apical)

Fruit: Fruit - follicle

Seeds: Seeds - few (2-10) per locule, Seeds - lacking tuft of hair, Seeds - surface +/- smooth, Seeds - round or ellipsoid