48. Willisia Warming
Willisia Warming, Overs. Kong. Danske Vid. Selsk. Skr. VI, 11(1): 58 (1901).
Mniopsis Mart. (1823 or 1824) pro parte, nom. illeg.
Roots usually ribbon-like or crustose and sometimes irregularly lobed or branched, 2--3 cm in diameter; stems arising along or near root margin, dimorphic; vegetative shoots caducous as the water level falls, simple or rarely branched, up to 50 cm long, almost leafless below, above with numerous, up to 8 cm long, filamentous leaves; flowering stems densely crowded, simple, rigid, erect, 2--10 cm long, closely covered with leaves. Leaves of flowering stems in 4 or 6 distinct rows, imbricate, scale-like, some entire, 2 rows with 2 scale-like, lateral teeth and a hair-like but caducous tip. Spathellas urn-shaped, forked at tip into 2 stiff teeth, distal part may fall off as a cap or it may persist in cleistogamous flowers until seeds are ripe. Flowers solitary, terminal, sessile; tepals 2, 1 each side of andropodium; stamens 2, borne on andropodium; pollen in dyads. Capsules smooth or middle nerve of each valve forming a rib; the larger valve persistent; stigmas linear. Seeds ± 80. Two doubtfully distinct spp., W. arekaliana Shivamurthy & Sadanand, W. selaginoides (Beddome) Warming ex Willis, both SW India. |
