Indian Marshweed

Perennials, amphibious. Submerged stems much branched, glabrous. Aerial stems to 15 cm, simple or branched, glabrous, with stalked or sessile glands to nearly smooth. Submerged leaves whorled, 1.5-2.5 cm, pinnatisect; segments flattened to capillary. Aerial leaves usually whorled, pinnately lobed, 0.4-2 cm, sometimes few opposite and crenate. Flowers axillary from aerial leaves, solitary. Pedicel slender, 2-10 mm, usually longer than bract, with sessile or stalked glands. Bracteoles 2, 1.5-3.5 mm, margin entire or sparsely serrate, apex acute. Calyx 3.5-5 mm, with sessile glands, without raised veins in fruit; lobes 2-3 mm, ovate to lanceolate, apex short acuminate. Corolla white, pale purple, or red, 1-1.4 cm. Capsule dark brown, compressed, ellipsoid to subglobose, ca. 3 mm. Fl. and fr. Mar-Nov.

Africa, W. Asia, Himalaya, India, east to S. China and Japan, Malaysia, N. Australia.

Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan, Taiwan, Yunnan [Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Malaysia, Nepal, Pakistan, Sikkim, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam; Africa, SW Asia, Australia, Oceania].

200-2300 m

Ponds, wet places; below 1800 m.

Hottonia indica Linnaeus, Sp. Pl. ed. 2, 208. 1762; Limnophila gratioloides R. Brown.

indica: of India