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Appalachian arrowhead, longbeak arrowhead

Sagittaria latifolia

bird's-eye pearlwort, broad-leaf arrowhead, common arrowhead, duck-potato, Indian potato, sagittaire latifoliee, wapato

Habit Herbs, perennial, to 130 cm; rhizomes absent; stolons present; corms present. Herbs, perennial, to 45 cm; 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.

emersed;

petiole triangular, erect to ascending, 6.5–51 cm;

blade sagittate, rarely hastate, 1.5–30.5 × 2–17 cm, basal lobes equal to or less than remainder of blade.

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 3–9 whorls, emersed, 4.5–28.5 × 4–23 cm;

peduncles 10–59 cm;

bracts connate more than or equal to ¼ total length, elliptic to lanceolate, 3–8 mm, delicate, not papillose; fruiting pedicels spreading, cylindric, 0.5–3.5 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 4 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.

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 1–1.7 cm diam;

achenes oblanceoloid, without abaxial keel, 2.5–3.5 × to 2 mm, beaked;

faces not tuberculate, wings absent, glands (0–)1(–2);

beak lateral, horizontal, 1–2 mm.

2n

= 22.

= 22.

Sagittaria australis

Sagittaria latifolia

Phenology Flowering summer–early fall (Jul–Oct). Flowering summer–fall.
Habitat Slightly basic to slightly acidic ponds, lakes, and swamps Wet ditches, pools, and margins of streams and lakes
Elevation 1–300 m (0–1000 ft) 0–1500 m (0–4900 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
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AL; AR; CA; CO; CT; DC; DE; FL; GA; IA; IL; IN; KS; KY; LA; MA; MD; ME; MI; MN; MO; MS; NC; ND; NE; NH; NJ; NY; OH; OK; PA; RI; SC; SD; TN; TX; VA; VT; WI; WV; AB; BC; MB; NB; NS; ON; PE; QC; SK; c Mexico; s Mexico; Central America (Guatemala); South America (Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[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.)

Sagittaria latifolia has been divided into numerous species and varieties. It was divided into two varieties, based upon the presence of pubescence over the entire vegetative plant (C. Bogin 1955; K. Rataj 1972). We have examined numerous specimens and found that many from the southeastern United States are pubescent; we believe that this character alone is insufficient for recognition of the varieties.

(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. filiformis, S. graminea, S. guayanensis, S. isoetiformis, S. kurziana, S. lancifolia, 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. latifolia var. obtusa, S. latifolia var. pubescens, S. ornithorhyncha, S. planipes, S. pubescens, S. viscosa
Name authority (J. G. Smith) Small: Flora of the Southeastern United States 45. (1903) Willdenow: Sp. Pl. 4(1): 409. (1805)
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