Plants in fresh water to 2 m deep. Leaves emersed, submersed, or floating; blade triangular proximally, flattened distally. Inflorescences overtopping leaves; scape trianglular; bracts 3, subtending umbel. Flowers: tepals light pink-purple with darker purple veins; stamens in 2 cycles, outer cycle of 3 pairs opposite outer tepals, inner cycle of 3 opposite inner tepals; anthers ovoid; pistils pink. Fruits leathery, beaked.

Sep and pet persistent, the sep nearly as long as the pet but more greenish; stamens 9, the outer cycle of 3 pairs of obliquely antesepalous members, the inner of 3 directly antepetalous members, so that all spread at equal angles from the receptacle.

Gleason, Henry A. & Cronquist, Arthur J. 1991. Manual of vascular plants of northeastern United States and adjacent Canada. lxxv + 910 pp.

©The New York Botanical Garden. All rights reserved. Used by permission.