Baldellia is a genus of aquatic plants commonly known as lesser water-plantains. It includes three species found across much of Europe and the Mediterranean from Ireland and the Canary Islands to Turkey and Estonia. The genus is named in honor of the Italian nobleman Bartolommeo Bartolini-Baldelli.Genaust, Helmut (1976). Etymologisches Wörterbuch der botanischen Pflanzennamen http://www.zelkova.ch/sites/default/files/Kozlowski_et_al_PPEES_2008.pdf Baldellia ranunculoides Baldellia is very closely related to Echinodorus.
Description Leaves aerial, elliptical to lanceolate or linear-lanceolate. Flowers hermaphrodite, in 1 – 3 whorls in umbels or racemes, or long-pedunculate in leaf-axils. Stamens 6. Carpels numerous, spirally arranged in a globose head, free, each with 1 ovule; styles apical. Fruitlets achenial, longitudinally 5-ribbed (3 dorsal ribs and 2 closely approximated ventral ribs), with a short, apical beak. 2n=16.
Variable in form according to ecological conditions.
Species Three species are recognized:
Baldellia alpestris (Cosson) Vasc. – northwestern Spain and northern Portugal Baldellia ranunculoides (L.) Parl. Baldellia ranunculoides var ranunculoides – from the Azores and Ireland to Turkey and Estonia Baldellia ranunculoides var. tangerina (Pau) J.Rocha – Spain, Portugal, Morocco Baldellia repens (Lam.) Ooststr Baldellia repens subsp. baetica Talavera & Casimiro-Soriguer – southwestern Spain Baldellia repens subsp. cavanillesii (Molina Abril, A.Galán, J.M.Pizarro & Sard.Rosc.) Talavera – Spain, Portugal, France, Belgium, Netherlands Baldellia repens subsp. repens – Canaries, Spain, Portugal, Algeria
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