Aponogeton natans - Floating Lace Plant
❏ Binomial Name : Aponogeton natans (L.) Engl. & K.Krause.
❏ Synonym : Saururus natans,Aponogeton monostachyon
❏ Family : Aponogetonaceae
❏ Common Name : Floating Lace Plant, Drifting Swordplant
❏ Tamil Name : Kotti, Kotti kizhangu
❏ IUCN status: Least Concern
Aponogeton natans Botanical Description
Tubers upto 2 cm across, oblong, sometimes globose. Leaves usually floating and rarely submerged. Submerged leaves upto 6 x 1.5 cm, lanceolate, base cuneate, apex obtuse; petiole to 5 cm long. Floating leaves 3-10 x 1-3 cm, oblong, base cordate, apex obtuse or rounded; parallel main nerves 5 or 7; petiole 7-35 cm long. Spikes upto 7 cm long, cylindrical, densely flowered; peduncle upto 40 cm long. Tepals 2, 1.5-2 x 0.5-1 mm, spathulate, pink, 1-nerved. Stamens 6; filaments 2-3 mm long. Ovaries 3, c. 1 mm long, oblong; ovules c. 8; styles to 1.5 mm long. Fruit c. 3 x 2 mm, smooth, beaked. Seeds c. 8, 1.5 -2 mm long, terete; testa double; outer one winged, transparent and reticulately nerved; inner one appressed to embryo. Fl. &Fr.: August-December
