Heteranthera spicata C. Presl

Heteranthera spicata Presl, Symb. Bot. 18. 1830
Schollera spicata Kuntze, Rev. Gen. 719. 1891.
Plant rooting in the mud, 1-2 dm. tall; leaves erect or spreading, the petioles up to 10 cm. long, glandular-pubescent above, the blades ovate, acutish, 2-6 cm. long, cordate at the base and there ciliate with gland-tipped hairs; peduncle of the inflorescence below the spathe 5-6 cm. long, the lower spathe-bract like the leaves, the upper one 1-3 cm. long, caudate-tipped or sometimes developing a leaf-like blade 2-3 cm. long, not separated from the lower spathe by a long node; inflorescence spicate, pubescent, 7-10 cm. long, the lower 1-3 flowers cleistogamous, the upper ones normal; perianth-tube 3-7 mm. long, the limb 4-7 mm. across, greenish-yellow without, whitish within, the lobes linear, the three outer narrower than the inner; stamens unequal and dissimilar, the larger one 3 mm. long with a linear obtuse anther, the smaller two 2 mm. long with round-ovoid, acute anthers; filaments glabrous, dilated toward style as long as the short stamens; stigma capitate, purple; cleistogamous capsule 1" mm long, enclosed within the base of the spat lie, the normal capsules 5 6 mm long, all narrowly ellipsoid; seeds ellipsoid, yellow-brown, 0.3-0.4 nun. long, 0.2 mm. wide, with 10 membranous
wings.
Type locality: Cuba
Distribution: Cuba, Hispaniola, and Panama.