Hydrotriche

Scientific name

Hydrotriche Zucc.

Family

Plantaginaceae

Similar genera

Bacopa (rarely confused), Ceratophyllum, Egleria, Hippuris, Hottonia, Hydrothrix

Native distribution

Madagascar

Species cultivated

Hydrotriche hottoniiflora Zucc.

Adventive distribution

none

Weed status

not weedy

Habit

submersed, attached stem plant

Brief description

Perennial perennial:
(adj) (of a plant) having a life cycle of more than two years
or annual. Stems mostly erect or creeping, elongate, delicate, rarely branching. Leaves relatively evenly spaced along stem in whorls of 10-20, sessilesessile:
(adj) attached directly, without a stalk
, linear to lanceolatelanceolate:
(adj) lance-shaped; widest point below the middle, tapering to the apex
; marginmargin:
(n) edge; rim
entireentire:
(adj) having a continuous margin that is not toothed or lobed
but serrulateserrulate:
(adj) minutely serrate
apically. Inflorescenceinflorescence:
(n) the arrangement of flowers on the floral axis
an erect racemeraceme:
(n) an indeterminate, unbranched inflorescence having pedicelled flowers on a usually elongated axis (may be cymose)
of 2-5 flowers; pedicelspedicels:
(n) the stalk of a single flower in an inflorescence, or of a grass spikelet
present or absent. Flowers weakly zygomorphiczygomorphic:
(adj) bilaterally symmetrical; symmetrical along only one plane
; sepals 5; corollacorolla:
(n) the inner whorl(s) of the perianth; all the petals of a flower
tubular, 2-lipped, lobes subequal; adaxialadaxial:
(adj) pertaining to the side facing toward the axis, as in the upper surface of a leaf
lip 2-lobed, abaxialabaxial:
(adj) the side facing away from the axis, as in the underside of a leaf
lip 3- lobedlobed:
(adj) divided into (usually rounded) segments
, white, blue, pink or yellow. Dispersal by stem fragments and possibly seed.

Natural habitat

found in both still and fast flowing water

Additional comments

Three species are described in this genus, all from Madagascar, but only Hydrotriche hottoniiflora is cultivated for aquaria.