Arrow Leaf Pondweed

Common name for a species of flowering plant in the water hyacinth family Pontederiaceae and is known by the botanical designation Monochoria hastata. This perennial, aquatic plant is native to temperate and tropical Asia, roughly from the Indian subcontinent over Southeast Asia to Oceania. It dwells in the water or in wet soils, often near the banks and among other vegetation. It has stems that grow between 0.7 and 1.2 meters high, with large arrow-shaped basal leaves. It bears dense clusters of 25 to 60 purplish to pale violet flowers on a spike of 6 to 9 centimeters in length, that sprouts from the side of the stem, some distance below the top leaf. The flowers have one blue anther and 5 anthers that are yellow (fig.). At 6 millimeter, the blue anther is slightly larger than the yellow ones, that are just 4 millimeter. The seed capsules are about 7 millimeter long and have a diameter of 5-6 millimeter. 回