26. Dicraeanthus Engler
Dicraeanthus Engler, Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 38: 94 (1905).
Roots usually ± star-shaped; stems arising from upper surface of roots, elongate, branched, floating, up to 1 m long, bearing leaves in 2 rows and in a third row flowers. Leaves arising at almost regular distances along opposite sides of stem; blades linear or up to 3 times forked, often fan-like; ultimate segments linear. Spathellas elongate. Flowers inverted within unruptured spathella, solitary or 3--20 in sessile or pedunculate clusters, mostly appearing to be opposite leaves; pedicels up to 6o mm long in fruit; tepals 2, much shorter than ovary, one each side of andropodium; andropodium rarely exceeding 1 mm long; stamens 2, about half as long as ovary; filaments half as long as anther; pollen in dyads; ovaries 1-locular. Capsules cylindrical to oblong, all ribs running entire length of capsule; valves equal, persistent, each with 3 ribs; stigmas conical, erect, persistent in fruit. Two spp., D. africanus Engler and D. zehnderi Hess, West & C tropical Africa
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