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Appalachian arrowhead, longbeak arrowhead

narrow-leaf arrowhead, threadleaf arrowhead

Habit Herbs, perennial, to 130 cm; rhizomes absent; stolons present; corms present. Herbs, perennial, to 170 cm, mostly of fresh waters, some plants stranded along shore; rhizomes absent; stolons present; corms present.
Leaves

emersed;

petiole 5-winged, 19–85 cm;

blade sagittate, 3–19 × 2.5–11 cm, basal lobes ± equal to remainder of blade.

submersed or floating, rarely emersed; submersed phyllodial, flattened, 30–250 × 0.1–1.5 cm; floating with petiole flattened, to 40 cm, blade linear-ovate to ovate, rarely sagittate, to 3.5 × 0.5 cm; emersed with petiole 5–10 cm, blade linear-ovate to ovate, rarely hastate to sagittate, to 4 × 0.5 cm; stranded plants usually with expanded leaf blades.

Inflorescences

racemes, of 5–12 whorls, emersed, 10–29 × 3–5 cm;

peduncles 25–105 cm;

bracts distinct or if connate, then less than ¼ total length, lanceolate, 7–30 mm, papery, not papillose; fruiting pedicels spreading to ascending, cylindric, 0.3–2.3 cm.

racemes, rarely panicles, of 4–10 whorls, floating to slightly emersed, 15–25 × 5–15 cm;

peduncles 10–200 cm;

bracts connate more than ¼ total length, lanceolate, 110 mm, delicate, not papillose; fruiting pedicels spreading to recurved, cylindric, 1.5–4.5 cm.

Flowers

to 3 cm diam.;

sepals recurved to spreading, not enclosing flower or fruiting head;

filaments cylindric, longer than anthers, glabrous; pistillate pedicellate, without ring of sterile stamens.

to 3 cm diam.;

sepals spreading in staminate, erect in pistillate, enclosing flower or fruiting head;

filaments dilated, ± equaling anthers, glabrous; pistillate pedicellate, without ring of sterile stamens.

Fruiting

heads 1–2.2 cm diam.;

achenes obovoid, without abaxial keel, 2.1–3.2 × 1.4–2.3 mm, beaked;

faces not tuberculate, wings 0–2, ± entire, glands absent;

beak lateral, strongly recurved, 4–17 mm.

heads 0.7–1 cm diam.;

achenes obovoid, abaxially keeled, 5 × 2.5 mm, beaked;

faces not tuberculate, wings 0–3, ± entire, glands 0–1;

beak lateral, erect, 1 mm.

2n

= 22.

= 22.

Sagittaria australis

Sagittaria filiformis

Phenology Flowering summer–early fall (Jul–Oct). Flowering summer–fall.
Habitat Slightly basic to slightly acidic ponds, lakes, and swamps Shallow, swift waters or deep streams in northern portion of range, ponds, lakes, drainage canals, and swamps in southern portion of range
Elevation 1–300 m (0–1000 ft) 0–100 m (0–300 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; AR; FL; GA; IA; IL; IN; KY; LA; MD; MO; MS; NC; NJ; NY; OH; PA; SC; TN; VA; WV
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from FNA
AL; CT; FL; GA; MA; ME; NC; NJ; NY; PA; RI; SC; VA
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[BONAP county map]
Discussion

The name Sagittaria longirostra (Micheli) J. G. Smith has been misapplied to S. australis (J. G. Smith) Small (E. O. Beal et al. 1980).

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 22. FNA vol. 22.
Parent taxa Alismataceae > Sagittaria Alismataceae > Sagittaria
Sibling taxa
S. ambigua, S. brevirostra, S. cristata, S. cuneata, S. demersa, S. engelmanniana, S. fasciculata, S. filiformis, S. graminea, S. guayanensis, S. isoetiformis, S. kurziana, S. lancifolia, S. latifolia, S. longiloba, S. montevidensis, S. papillosa, S. platyphylla, S. rigida, S. sanfordii, S. secundifolia, S. subulata, S. teres
S. ambigua, S. australis, S. brevirostra, S. cristata, S. cuneata, S. demersa, S. engelmanniana, S. fasciculata, S. graminea, S. guayanensis, S. isoetiformis, S. kurziana, S. lancifolia, S. latifolia, S. longiloba, S. montevidensis, S. papillosa, S. platyphylla, S. rigida, S. sanfordii, S. secundifolia, S. subulata, S. teres
Synonyms S. longirostra var. australis, S. engelmanniana subsp. longirostra S. stagnorum, S. subulata var. gracillima
Name authority (J. G. Smith) Small: Flora of the Southeastern United States 45. (1903) J. G. Smith: N. Amer. Sagittaria. 20, plate 15, figs. 5–8. (1894)
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