Sagittaria

Scientific name

Sagittaria L.

Common names

arrow head

Family

Alismataceae

Similar genera

Alisma, Butomus, Colocasia, Damasonium, Echinodorus, Lilaeopsis, Littorella, Monochoria, Peltandra, Vallisneria

Native distribution

mostly New World, some introduced to Old World

Species cultivated

Sagittaria cuneata E. Sheld.

S. isoetiformis J.G.Sm.

S. lancifolia L.

S. latifolia Willd.

S. montevidensis Cham. & Schltdl.

S. platyphylla (Engelm.) J.G. Sm.

S. pusillus

S. sagittifolia L.

U.S. Federal Noxious Weed: Sagittaria sagittifolia

Identification: The often narrowly sagittatesagittate:
(adj) shaped like an arrowhead
leaf bladeblade:
(n) (syn. lamina) the flat, expanded part of a leaf, frond, or petal (excluding, e.g., the petiole)
is a distinguishing character of S. sagittifolia. Acheneachene:
(n) a dry, indehiscent, one-seeded fruit in which the seed is attached to the pericarp at a single point
(fruit) characters can help in distinguishing among Sagittaria species. In particular, relative widths of the acheneachene:
(n) a dry, indehiscent, one-seeded fruit in which the seed is attached to the pericarp at a single point
wings, presence or absence of a wing on acheneachene:
(n) a dry, indehiscent, one-seeded fruit in which the seed is attached to the pericarp at a single point
faces, and the relative position and orientation of the acheneachene:
(n) a dry, indehiscent, one-seeded fruit in which the seed is attached to the pericarp at a single point
beak.

See S. sagittifolia disseminule fact sheet.

S. subulata (L.) Buchenau

Adventive distribution

Numerous introductions of various species throughout the world.

Sagittaria guayanensis Kunth is introduced into the United States.

S. latifolia is introduced into Hawaii (United States) and Europe.

S. montevidensis is introduced into Australia, New Zealand and the United States.

S. platyphylla is introduced into Australia, New Zealand and Europe.

S. rigida Pursh is introduced into Europe.

S. sagittifolia is reported from Australia and New Zealand, but is most likely misidentified.

S. subulata is introduced into Indonesia and Europe.

Weed status

S. sagittifolia is an aquatic weed on the U.S. federal noxious weed list. Several species are known as weeds in rice fields, including S. montevidensis, S. platyphylla, and S. subulata.

Habit

submersed, emergentemergent:
(adj) (syn. emersed) with parts raised out of the water; extending up out of the water
, narrow- to broad-leaved rosetterosette:
(n) a radiating cluster of leaves, usually close to the ground at the base of a plant
plant

Brief description

Perennial perennial:
(adj) (of a plant) having a life cycle of more than two years
or annual. Plants typically submergedsubmerged:
(adj) (syn. submersed) under water; submerged below the water surface
when juvenile, emergentemergent:
(adj) (syn. emersed) with parts raised out of the water; extending up out of the water
when mature. Stem compact, stoloniferous. Leaves submersedsubmersed:
see submerged
, floating and emergentemergent:
(adj) (syn. emersed) with parts raised out of the water; extending up out of the water
, in a basalbasal:
(adj) at or pertaining to the base, or point of attachment
rosette; petiolepetiole:
(n) the stalk of a leaf
present or absent, elongate (when present); leaf bladeblade:
(n) (syn. lamina) the flat, expanded part of a leaf, frond, or petal (excluding, e.g., the petiole)
linear, lanceolatelanceolate:
(adj) lance-shaped; widest point below the middle, tapering to the apex
to deeply sagittatesagittate:
(adj) shaped like an arrowhead
, venationvenation:
(n) the arrangement of veins in a leaf
parallel, pinnatepinnate:
(adj) in the form of a feather; of, e.g., leaflets, lobes, or veins: arranged in two rows along an axis
, or palmatepalmate:
(adj) (of leaves or venation) with lobes, leaflets, divisions or veins originating from the same point
; marginmargin:
(n) edge; rim
entireentire:
(adj) having a continuous margin that is not toothed or lobed
. Inflorescenceinflorescence:
(n) the arrangement of flowers on the floral axis
erect, a pedunclepeduncle:
(n) the stalk of a flower cluster or inflorescence
bearing whorledwhorled:
(n) bearing whorls; a type of leaf arrangement (phyllotaxis) in which leaves are in whorls
rays of flowers. Sepals 3, green; petals 3, white, pink, yellow, or white with basalbasal:
(adj) at or pertaining to the base, or point of attachment
purple spot. Fruit a winged and beaked acheneachene:
(n) a dry, indehiscent, one-seeded fruit in which the seed is attached to the pericarp at a single point
. Dispersal by stolonstolon:
(n) an above-ground stem growing more or less horizontally and often forming adventitious roots at the nodes
and acheneachene:
(n) a dry, indehiscent, one-seeded fruit in which the seed is attached to the pericarp at a single point
.

Natural habitat

all types of water bodies, submersedsubmersed:
see submerged
to emergentemergent:
(adj) (syn. emersed) with parts raised out of the water; extending up out of the water
along water edge

Additional comments

A New World genus spreading throughout the Old World. The taxonomy of the genus is problematic, with little consensus from recent revisions.