Myriophyllum tuberculatum

Myriophyllum tuberculatum Roxb., Fl. Ind., ed. 1820 1: 471 1820. (syn: Myriophyllum spathulatum Blatt. & Hallb.);

Submerged heterophyllous annuals; stem 10-60 cm tall, cylindrical, glabrous, pinkish with base creeping and branches with apex above the water, nodes rooting. Leaves of two types, in whorls of 3-6 or opposite, sub-opposite, towards base and apex of branches. Submerged leaves green, triangular, pinnatifid, 3 cm long with opposite filiform lobes, which get progressively shorter towards the tip, arranged 2-3 mm apart on a narrow, ventrally grooved median ‘rachis’; aerial leaves to 2.5 cm long and 2-3 mm broad, linear spathulate, sessile, distal margins minutely dentate, apex acute. Flowers on the upper whorls male, lower whorls female and bisexual solitary, axillary subsessile, bracteolate, pinkish white, bisexual, rarely the upper flowers male. Bracteoles 2, 1-1.5 mm long, bat-shaped, margins toothed. Calyx small, lobes ovate, acute, erect, green margins minutely, toothed. Corolla pink or white, lobes 4, obovate, concave, to 1.3 mm long, apex rounded. Stamens 4 in bisexual flowers and 2 in male flowers, c. 1.6 mm long, filaments very short, slender, anthers 1.5-1.8 mm pink, elongate, acute, shortly conical at base, introse. Ovary inferior, four-celled, four-angled, angles keeled, ovule single; styles 4, free, short, bare bulbous, pinkish, stigma fimbriate, pink. Drupe, 4-angled, subsessile, 3 mm long with minute warty projections on the keels and sides, pinkish, drying into pale brown, dehiscing irregularly; seeds ovate-lenticular, 1.5 x 1 mm, dull coloured, testa transparent.

Flowering and fruiting: August-March

Freshwater pond

Indo-Malesia to Australia

(Attributions- Dr. N Sasidharan (Dr. B P Pal Fellow), Kerala Forest Research Institute, Peechi from India Biodiversity Portal)

It is an annual herb, growing in tanks, lakes and marshes (Cook 1996).

Myriophyllum tuberculatum is reported from South and Southeast Asia, and northern Australia (Cook 1996). In India it is known to occur in Assam, Kerala, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Orissa, Rajasthan, West Bengal (Cook 1996).

Species of the genus Myriophyllum have economic importance in the purification of water, as feed for pigs, ducks, and fish, and in polishing wood. The plants are used medicinally to reduce fever and as an antidiarrheal (eFlora of China). It is an aquarium plant.

Citation:

Gupta, A.K., Sadasivaiah, B. & Bhat, G.K. 2013. Myriophyllum tuberculatum. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2013: e.T168874A6544284. http://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2011-1.RLTS.T168874A6544284.en . Downloaded on 05 November 2015.