Spermatophyta: Dicotyledonae: Archichlamydeae: Ceratophyllales

Ceratophyllaceae - Hornwort family

Wilmot-Dear, C.M. (1991) Ceratophyllaceae Flora Zambesiaca 9(6)

Description of the family

Submerged, aquatic, monoecious herbs without roots. Stipules 0. Leaves in whorls, filiform, regularly forked into linear segments, often rigid or brittle, with spiny teeth on the margin; apical segments truncate, 2-spined at the apex with a reddish glandular projection between the spines (basal segments sometimes parasitised and becoming swollen and sac-like).Flowers actinomorphic, hypogynous, axillary, 1-several at each node; male and female flowers at separate nodes, ± sessile. Perianth lobes 6-13, united at base; margin often with a single lateral spine or ± lacerate; apex as leaf apex. Male flowers with numerous stamens. Female flowers: staminodes 0; ovary superior, tapering into a long style; ovule 1. Fruit a nut.

Worldwide: 1 genus and 2-6 species, cosmopolitan.

Botswana: 1 genus and 2 taxa.

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Links to genera:     View: living plant images - herbarium specimen images - all images for this family

GenusContent
Ceratophyllum L.Description

Other sources of information about Ceratophyllaceae:

Our websites:

Flora of Caprivi: Ceratophyllaceae
Flora of Caprivi: cultivated Ceratophyllaceae
Flora of Malawi: Ceratophyllaceae
Flora of Mozambique: Ceratophyllaceae
Flora of Zambia: Ceratophyllaceae
Flora of Zimbabwe: Ceratophyllaceae

External websites:

African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): Ceratophyllaceae
BHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library): Ceratophyllaceae
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Ceratophyllaceae
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): Ceratophyllaceae
Google: Web - Images - Scholar
iNaturalist: Ceratophyllaceae
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Ceratophyllaceae
JSTOR Plant Science: Ceratophyllaceae
Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Ceratophyllaceae
Wikipedia: Ceratophyllaceae
Plants of the World Online: Ceratophyllaceae
Tropicos: Ceratophyllaceae



Copyright: Mark Hyde, Bart Wursten, Petra Ballings and Meg Coates Palgrave, 2014-24

Hyde, M.A., Wursten, B.T., Ballings, P. & Coates Palgrave, M. (2024). Flora of Botswana: Family page: Ceratophyllaceae.
https://www.botswanaflora.com/speciesdata/family.php?family_id=54, retrieved 29 March 2024

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