Diversity:  Aquatic or wetland herbs, usually perennial from thick, edible rhizomes and often with broad, dicot-like leaves.  About 11 genera and ca. 90 species.

Distribution:  Worldwide and centered in aquatic situations, i.e., not common elements of any flora BUT usually present and conspicuous in wetlands. We have 3 genera (Sagittaria, Alisma, and Echinodorus) and 13 species in the Texas flora.

Floral structure:

Significant features:  An monocot analog to the Ranunculaceae in that these are apocarpus herbs.  While the flowers can be perfect, they are often unisexual and the speces are monoecious.

Alisma (perfect)	Sagittaria saggittifolia (monoecious)

plant/habitat	pistillate flowers	staminate flower

More information on the Alismataceae