Alisma

{{Short description|Genus of aquatic plants}} {{For|the birth control pill|Ethinylestradiol/cyproterone acetate}} {{Automatic taxobox |image = Alisma plantago-aquatica20090812 259.jpg |image_caption = ''Alisma plantago-aquatica'' |taxon = Alisma |authority = L. |subdivision_ranks = Species |subdivision = See text }}

'''''Alisma''''' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Alismataceae, members of which are commonly known as '''water-plantains'''. The genus consists of aquatic plants with leaves either floating or submerged, found in a variety of still water habitats around the world (nearly worldwide).<ref>{{cite web | url = http://efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=101042 | work = Flora of North America | title = Alisma }}</ref><ref name="alisongoose">[http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/namedetail.do?name_id=294751 Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families]</ref> The flowers are hermaphrodite, and are arranged in panicles, racemes, or umbels. ''Alisma'' flowers have six stamens, numerous free carpels in a single whorl, each with 1 ovule, and subventral styles. The fruit is an achene with a short beak.

The nineteenth century British art and social critic John Ruskin believed that the particular curve of the leaf-ribs of ''Alisma'' represented a model of 'divine proportion' and helped shape his theory of Gothic architecture.<ref>J. Mordaunt Crook, "Ruskinian Gothic" in The Ruskin Polygon: Essays on the Imagination of John Ruskin ed. John Dixon Hunt and Faith M. Holland (Manchester University Press, 1982) pp. 65–93.</ref>

{{lang|ga|Copóg Phádraig}} ("Patrick's leaf") is the Irish name for the water-plantain. It is reputed to ward off fairies.<ref>{{Cite book |last=MacKillop |first=James |url=https://www.oxfordreference.com/display/10.1093/acref/9780198609674.001.0001/acref-9780198609674-e-1129?rskey=2KZe0K&result=1129 |title=A Dictionary of Celtic Mythology |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=2004 |isbn=9780198609674}}</ref>

Water plantains are perennial plants. These herbs are usually emergent plants {{convert|0.1-1|m|in|sigfig=1|abbr=on}} high. They have broad leaves that can be either tapered or rounded at the base. When submerged, the plant produces ribbon-like leaves. Inflorescences are highly branched. They produce whorls of perfect flowers either white or pinkish. The fruits are flat-sided nutlets {{convert|2.5-3|mm|in|abbr=on}} in length. These herbs usually flower in late May to early September, but this can vary with conditions.<ref name="na-misc">Gleason and Cronquist (1991); Fernald (1970); Voss (1972).</ref>

Water-plantains are wetland plants and found in saturated soils and shallow water as well as marshes, wooded swamps, shrub swamps and flooded farmland. When introduced to an area, water plantain can rapidly reproduce.

==Species and subspecies== The following taxa are recognized as of May 2014:<ref name="alisongoose"/>

*''Alisma × bjoerkqvistii'' Tzvelev - Russia * ''Alisma canaliculatum'' A.Braun & C.D.Bouché - eastern Asia * ''Alisma gramineum'' Lej. - Europe, Asia, North Africa; minor naturalization in North America *''Alisma × juzepczukii'' Tzvelev - European Russia * ''Alisma lanceolatum'' Withering - Europe, Asia, North Africa; naturalized in Australia, New Zealand, California etc. * ''Alisma nanum'' D.F.Cui - Xinjiang * ''Alisma orientale'' * ''Alisma plantago-aquatica'' L. - Europe, Asia, Africa **''Alisma plantago-aquatica'' subsp. ''orientale'' (Sam.) Sam. **''Alisma plantago-aquatica'' subsp. ''plantago-aquatica'' *''Alisma × rhicnocarpum'' Schotsman - western Europe * ''Alisma subcordatum'' Raf. eastern North America * ''Alisma triviale'' Pursh - North America * ''Alisma wahlenbergii'' (Holmb.) Juz. Baltic Sea region

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== {{Commons category-inline|italic=1}} {{Wikispecies-inline}}

Category:Alisma Category:Alismataceae genera Category:Freshwater plants Category:Botanical taxa named by Carl Linnaeus

Alisma

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