| Potamogetonaceae | |
|---|---|
| Potamogeton crispus | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Monocots |
| Order: | Alismatales |
| Family: | Potamogetonaceae Rchb. |
| Genera | |
|
See text |
|
The Potamogetonaceae, commonly referred to as the pondweed family, is an aquatic family of monocotyledonous flowering plants. There are roughly 120 species spread across six genera in the Potamagetonaceae. The largest genus in the family by far is Potamogeton, which contains about 100 species.
The family has a sub-cosmopolitan distribution, and is considered to be one of the most important angiosperm groups in the aquatic environment because of its use as food and habitat for aquatic animals.[1]
Contents |
The Potamogetonaceae is currently placed in the early diverging monocot order Alismatales by the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group.[2] Their concept of the family includes the plants sometimes treated in the separate family Zannichelliaceae, but excludes the genus Ruppia. So circumscribed, the family currently consists of six genera: Althenia, Groenlandia, Lepilaena, Potamogeton, Stuckenia, and Zannichellia,[3] totalling about 120 species of perennial aquatic plants.
The plants are all aquatic perennial herbs, often with creeping rhizomes and leafy branches. Their leaf blades can be either floating or submersed, and their stems are often joined. No stomata are present on the leaves. The flowers are tetramerous: the floral formula (sepals; petals; stamens; carpels) is [4;0;4;4]. The flowers have no petals. The fruit consists of 1-4 drupelets or achenes.[4]