Lagenandra


Lagenandra is a genus of aquatic flowering plants in the aroid family, Araceae, endemic to the Indian subcontinent. The genus has gradually become more known through the aquascaping and aquarium hobby, in which several related Araceae genera are already highly prized and grown on a large scale ; Lagenandra, however, is still relatively rare in cultivation or private collections.
The genus is visually-similar to the Cryptocoryne, but is distinguishable for its involute vernation ; comparatively, Cryptocoryne tends to exhibit convolute vernation.

Description

Helophytes, rarely rheophytes, with thick creeping rhizome; leaf blade simple, ovate to almost linear, fine venation transverse-reticulate; spathe tube with connate margins; spadix entirely enclosed in spathe tube; flowers unisexual, perigone absent. Differs from Cryptocoryne in having female flowers spirally arranged and free; spathe tube "kettle" with connate margins occupying entire spathe tube; spathe blade usually opening only slightly by a straight or twisted slit; berries free, opening from base; leaf ptyxis involute.

Species

Accepted species are as follows. A key to the species described before 1986 was provided by Crusio and de Graaf.
  1. Lagenandra bogneri de Wit - Sri Lanka
  2. Lagenandra dewitii Crusio & de Graaf - Sri Lanka
  3. Lagenandra erosa de Wit - Sri Lanka
  4. Lagenandra gomezii Bogner & Jacobsen - Bangladesh
  5. Lagenandra jacobseni de Wit - Sri Lanka
  6. Lagenandra keralensis Sivadasan & Jaleel - Kerala
  7. Lagenandra koenigii Thwaites - Sri Lanka
  8. Lagenandra lancifolia Thwaites - Sri Lanka
  9. Lagenandra meeboldii C.E.C. Fischer - southwestern India
  10. Lagenandra nairii Ramamurthy & Rajan - southwestern India
  11. Lagenandra ovata Thwaites - southwestern India, Sri Lanka
  12. Lagenandra praetermissa de Wit & Nicolson - Sri Lanka
  13. Lagenandra thwaitesii Engler - Sri Lanka
  14. Lagenandra toxicaria Dalzell - southwestern India
  15. Lagenandra undulata Sastry - Assam