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Electronic Flora of South Australia
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Electronic Flora of South Australia genus Fact Sheet

Family: Isoetaceae
Isoetes

Citation: L., Sp. Pl. 1100 (1753).

Derivation: Greek isos, alike; etos, year; because the submerged species remain the same throughout the year.

Synonymy: Not Applicable

Common name: Quillworts.

Description:
Corm simple, usually bilobed or trilobed; leaves crowded at the apex of the corm, quill-like, erect or flaccid; megasporophylls surrounding the microsporophylls; sporangia naked or partially or wholly covered by a velum; megaspores large, 0.2-0.8 mm diam., white, grey or, in some cases, black.

image of FSA1_Isoetes.jpg
Image source: fig. 19a in J.P. Jessop and H.R. Toelken Ed. 1986. Flora of South Australia (4th edn).

Distribution:  About 100 aquatic or amphibious species occurring in permanent or temporary lakes, rivers, rock-holes or on wet soils in temperate and montane tropical regions throughout the world. 15 species in Australia, all but one endemic.

Biology: No text

Key to Species:
1. Sporangia shiny when mature, dark-brown, naked
I. drummondii 1.
1. Sporangia whitish, usually semi-transparent; velum covering part or all of the sporangium
I. muelleri 2.

Author: Not yet available


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