Spermatophyta: Monocotyledonae: Alismatales

Araceae - Arum family

Lemnaceae

Dyer, R.A. (1976) The Genera of southern African flowering plants. Vol. 2 (Monocotyledons). Department of Agricultural Technical Services, Pre

Haigh, A. & Boyce, P. (2012) Araceae Flora Zambesiaca 12(1)

Hepper, F.N. (1973) Lemnaceae Flora of Tropical East Africa

Leistner, O.A. (ed.) (2000) Seed plants of southern Africa: families and genera Strelitzia 10

Mayo, S.J. (1985) Araceae Flora of Tropical East Africa

Description of the family

Perennial, terrestrial, epiphytic or aquatic, herbs; sometimes the whole plant reduced to a minute flat or fleshy body (in the former Lemnaceae). Leaves alternate, 1-many, petiolate; petiole usually with a basal sheath; lamina simple or variously lobed. Inflorescence pedunculate, consisting of a fleshy ± cylindric spadix subtended by, or enclosed within, a sometimes showy spathe; or in the former Lemnaceae borne in a lateral cavity of the plant body or within lateral pouches. Spadix either uniform with bisexual flowers or monoecious with female flowers at base and male above; sterile flowers often present in various arrangements, sometimes forming a sterile apex. Bracts 0. Flowers minute, sessile; perianth cup-like or composed of 4-9 free or connate segments. Stamens opposite perianth segments, free or connate. Ovary usually superior, 1-many-locular, each loculus with 1-many ovules; stigma (sub)sessile. Fruit a 1-many-seeded berry, these often brightly coloured or a utricle in the former Lemnaceae.

Worldwide: c.116 genera and over 3,300 species, mostly tropical and subtropical with a few temperate.

Caprivi: 4 genera and 4 taxa.

No image yet

Links to genera:     View: living plant images - herbarium specimen images - all images for this family

GenusContent
Amorphophallus Blume ex Decne.Description, Image
Lemna L.Description
Pistia L.Description
Stylochaeton Lepr.Description

Other sources of information about Araceae:

Our websites:

Flora of Botswana: Araceae
Flora of Burundi: Araceae
Flora of the DRC: Araceae
Flora of Malawi: Araceae
Flora of Malawi: cultivated Araceae
Flora of Mozambique: Araceae
Flora of Mozambique: cultivated Araceae
Flora of Rwanda: Araceae
Flora of Zambia: Araceae
Flora of Zambia: cultivated Araceae
Flora of Zimbabwe: Araceae
Flora of Zimbabwe: cultivated Araceae

External websites:

African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): Araceae
BHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library): Araceae
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Araceae
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): Araceae
Google: Web - Images - Scholar
iNaturalist: Araceae
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Araceae
JSTOR Plant Science: Araceae
Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Araceae
Wikipedia: Araceae
Plants of the World Online: Araceae
Tropicos: Araceae



Copyright: Mark Hyde, Bart Wursten, Petra Ballings and Meg Coates Palgrave, 2014-24

Hyde, M.A., Wursten, B.T., Ballings, P. & Coates Palgrave, M. (2024). Flora of Caprivi: Family page: Araceae.
https://www.capriviflora.com/speciesdata/family.php?family_id=18, retrieved 8 December 2024

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