泰来藻属 tai lai zao shu

Herbs, submerged marine. Rhizome elongated, creeping, with scales and extended internodes, giving rise to erect, short, leafy shoots. Leaves usually 2-6, distichous, ribbonlike or slightly falcate, veins 9-15, parallel, connected by cross veins, sheathed at base. Inflorescences pedunculate, 1-flowered; spathes 2, fused. Plants dioecious; flowers unisexual. Male flowers pedicellate; perianth segments 3; stamens 3-12; anthers subsessile, 2-4-thecous, latrorsely dehiscent; pollen grains spherical, stuck together into moniliform chains; female flowers subsessile; ovary 1-loculed; styles 6, each with 2 filiform stigmas. Fruit spherical or elliptic, split open at top by stellate dehiscence of fleshy pericarp into a number of irregular valves. Seeds numerous.

Two species: Indian and W Pacific Oceans, Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico; one species in China.

Lower Taxon

• Thalassia hemprichii (Ehrenberg ex Solms) Ascherson