Spermatophyta: Dicotyledonae: Archichlamydeae: Myrtales

Trapaceae - Water chestnut family

Brenan, J.P.M. (1978) Trapaceae Flora Zambesiaca 4

Description of the family

Aquatic floating herbs. Stipules cleft to base. Leaves alternate, in floating rosettes; petiole spongy and inflated about the middle. Adventitious roots leaf-like, pinnatisect into many filiform segments. Flowers bisexual, actinomorphic, solitary from upper axils. Sepals, petals and stamens 4. Petals white. Ovary semi-inferior, 2-locular. Fruit a 1-seeded drupe bearing 2-4 horns.

Worldwide: 1 genus and c. 20 species in the Old World excluding the Pacific.

Malawi: 1 genus and 1 taxon.

Links to genera: View: living plant images - herbarium specimen images - all images for this family

Genus	Content
Trapa L.	Description, Image

Other sources of information about Trapaceae:

Our websites:

Flora of Botswana: Trapaceae
Flora of Caprivi: Trapaceae
Flora of Mozambique: Trapaceae
Flora of Zambia: Trapaceae
Flora of Zimbabwe: Trapaceae

External websites:

African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): Trapaceae
BHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library): Trapaceae
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Trapaceae
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): Trapaceae
Google: Web - Images - Scholar
iNaturalist: Trapaceae
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Trapaceae
JSTOR Plant Science: Trapaceae
Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Trapaceae
Wikipedia: Trapaceae
Plants of the World Online: Trapaceae
Tropicos: Trapaceae