Halophila Thouars

Symoens, J.J. (2009) Hydrocharitaceae Flora Zambesiaca 12(2)

Description of the genus

Submerged, marine perennials. Stems elongate, rhizomatous or shortly erect. Roots 1(–3) at each node where the erect stems produced, sand binding, covered with fine hairs. Leaves in pairs, whorls or distichously arranged on the erect stems, sessile or petiolate; blade linear to ovate, opaque or somewhat translucent, usually glabrous; margins green, entire or serrulate. Stipules 2, subtending each pair or whorl of leaves. Flowers spathes, solitary in leaf-axils, sessile, 1–2-flowered, composed of 2 free, overlapping bracts, translucent, the margins entire or serrulate; tepals 3, ovate, cucullate. Fruit ovoid to globose, membranous, opening by decay of pericarp. Seeds subglobose to globose, tuberculate.

Worldwide: Eight species, four of which are found in East African coastal waters.

Mozambique: 4 taxa.

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SpeciesFZ divisionsContent
minor (Zoll.) HartogN
ovalis (R. Br.) Hook. f. subsp. linearis (Hartog) Hartog[End]GI,M
ovalis (R. Br.) Hook. f. subsp. ovalis N,GI,M
stipulacea (Forssk.) Asch.N

Other sources of information about Halophila:

External websites:

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

Copyright: Mark Hyde, Bart Wursten, Petra Ballings and Meg Coates Palgrave 2007-24

Hyde, M.A., Wursten, B.T., Ballings, P. & Coates Palgrave, M. (2024). Flora of Mozambique: Genus page: Halophila.
https://www.mozambiqueflora.com/speciesdata/genus.php?genus_id=2350, retrieved 10 December 2024

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