Caldesia

Taxobox | name = "Caldesia"
regnum = Plantae
divisio = Magnoliophyta
classis = Liliopsida
ordo = Alismatales
familia = Alismataceae
genus = "Caldesia"
genus_authority = Parl.
subdivision_ranks = Species
subdivision =
* "Caldesia brandoniana" †
* "Caldesia grandis"
* "Caldesia oligococca"
* "Caldesia parnassifolia"
* "Caldesia reniformis"

"Caldesia" is a genus of aquatic plants. It includes four living species distributed in the Old World tropics. The genus "has an extensive Oligocene through Pleistocene fossil record in Eurasia," [cite journal | last=Haggard | first=Kristina K. | coauthors=Tiffney, Bruce H. | year=1997 | title=The Flora of the Early Miocene Brandon Lignite, Vermont, USA. VIII. "Caldesia" (Alismataceae) | journal=American Journal of Botany | volume=84 | issue=2 | pages=239–252 | doi=10.2307/2446086 ] and has been found in fossil strata of the United States (Idaho and Vermont) as well. Ten fossil species have been described for the genus.

Description

Leaves all basal, floating or aerial, ovate to elliptical, cordate or subcordate. Flowers hermaphrodite, in racemes or panicles. Stamens 6(-11). Carpels few or numerous in a single whorl, free, each with 1 ovule; styles subventral. Fruitlets drupaceous, with woody endocarp and spongy exocarp, swollen, with a short subventral beak, smooth or with tubercles or spines.

pecies

* "C. parnassifolia" (L.) Parl. syn. "Alisma parnassifolium" L.

References