Herbs, perennial, rhizomatous, stemless, glabrous; sap clear. Roots not septate. Leaves basal, emersed or rarely submersed, sessile, sheathing somewhat proximally; blade with lade: translucent markings absent, basal lobes absent; venation parallel. Inflorescences scapose umbels, erect, bracteate. Flowers bisexual, hypogynous, pedicellate; tepals persistent, 6, in 2 series, scarious; stamens 9, distinct; anthers 4-loculed, dehiscing longitudinally; pistils 6, coherent proximally, 1-loculed; placentation laminar; ovules 50. Fruits follicles. Seeds: embryo straight; endosperm absent in mature seed.

Distribution

North America, native, temperate regions, Eurasia.

Discussion

Genus Genera 1, species 1:

Selected References

Anderson, L. C., C. D. Zeis, and S. F. Alam. 1974. Phytogeography and possible origins of Butomus in North America. Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 101: 292--296.

Stuckey, R. L. 1968. Distributional history of Butomus umbellatus (flowering-rush) in the western Lake Erie and Lake St. Clair region. Michigan Bot. 7: 134--142.

Stuckey, R. L., G. Schneider, and M. L. Roberts. 1990. Butomus umbellatus L.: Notes from the German literature and North American field studies. Ohio J. Sci. 90(2): 5--6.

Stuckey, R. L. 1994. Map of the known distribution of Butomus (flowering- rush) in North America. In: W. R. Burk and R. L. Stuckey. 1994. Ronald L. Stuckey: His Roole in the Ohio Academy of Science. Chapel Hill. P. 85.

Tomlinson, P. B. 1982. Helobiae (Alismatidae). In: C. R. Metcalfe, ed. 1960+. Anatomy of the Monoctotyledons. 8+ vols. Oxford. Vol. 7.

Lower Taxa

Butomus

Illustrations

	Family ⠉	Taxon	Illustrator ⠉
	Limnocharitaceae Butomaceae	Hydrocleys nymphoides Butomus umbellatus Limnocharis flava