Sagittaria lancifolia

Sagittaria lancifolia L.

Common Names: Lance Leaf

Family: Alismataceae

Habit: Sagittaria lancifolia grows as a slightly succulent herb from a basal rosette of leaves.  The leaf blades are ovate to rounded, parallel veined to 75 cm long and 15 cm wide with an acute leaf apex and entire margin.  The petiole exceeds the length of the leaf blade.

The incomplete, imperfect, actinomorphic flowers are arranged in a raceme sometimes branching to form a panicle.  The calyx has 3 green, unfused sepals and the corolla has 3 white unfused petals. Staminate flowers occur on the upper portion of the inflorescence, have numerous stamens and no carpel.  Carpellate flowers occur on the lower portion of the inflorescence, have numerous unfused carpels on an expanded receptacle, and no stamens. The fruit is a ridged achene.

Habitat: Sagittaria lancifolia grows in Fresh Water Wetlands and sink holes.

Distribution: Sagittaria lancifolia occurs in the northern island groupings of the Lucayan Archipelago as well as North and Central America and the entire Caribbean region.

Medicinal/Cultural/Economic usage: Sagittaria lancifolia is not known to be used medicinally in the Lucayan Archipelago.