''Cryptocoryne spiralis'' is a plant

species A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...

belonging to the

Araceae The Araceae are a family of monocotyledonous flowering plants in which flowers are borne on a type of inflorescence called a spadix. The spadix is usually accompanied by, and sometimes partially enclosed in, a spathe (or leaf-like bract). Also ...

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

Cryptocoryne ''Cryptocoryne'' is a genus of aquatic plants from the family Araceae. The genus is naturally distributed in tropical regions of India, Southeast Asia and New Guinea. The English common name "water trumpet" refers to their inflorescence, a spad ...

''.

Distribution

Endemic to India.Cook, CDK (1996) ''Aquatic and Wetland Plants of India: A reference Book and Identification Manual for the Vascular Plants Found in Permanent or Seasonal Fresh water in the Subcontinent of India South of the Himalayas''. Oxford University Press, New York, NY. 385 pp.

Leaf morphology

Leaves are lanceolate and extremely variable, some variations are red stems, furrows in leaf margins, pure green forms. Cryptocorne_spiralis_var_spiralis_submerged_growth

Cryptocorne_spiralis_var_spiralis_submerged_growth

Inflorescence

The flower of ''C. spiralis'' is within a

spathe In botany, a bract is a modified or specialized leaf, associated with a reproductive structure such as a flower, inflorescence axis or cone scale. Bracts are usually different from foliage leaves in size, color, shape or texture. They also look ...

which is curled clockwise, a distinctive feature of this species. Cryotocorne spiralis inflorescence Spathe

Rhizome

''Cryotocorne sprialis'' stores nutrients in underground rhizome, during the dry season when the marshes dry out, plant survives by losing all its leaves and becoming dormant. Next season when the rains come the rhizome sprouts new leaves. Cryotocorne sprialis rhizome

References

External links

Nonindigenous Aquatic Species USA
{{Taxonbar, from=Q15205828 spiralis Aquatic plants