''Heteranthera'' is a genus of

aquatic plant Aquatic plants, also referred to as hydrophytes, are vascular plants and Non-vascular plant, non-vascular plants that have adapted to live in aquatic ecosystem, aquatic environments (marine ecosystem, saltwater or freshwater ecosystem, freshwater ...

s in the

water hyacinth ''Pontederia crassipes'' (formerly ''Eichhornia crassipes''), commonly known as common water hyacinth, is an aquatic plant native to South America, naturalized throughout the world, and often invasive species, invasive outside its native rang ...

family,

Pontederiaceae Pontederiaceae is a Family (biology), family of flowering plants. The APG IV system of 2016 (unchanged from the APG III system of 2009, the APG II system of 2003 and the APG system of 1998) places the family in the order Commelinales, in the co ...

, known generally as mud plantains. Species of this genus are native to tropical and subtropical

America The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

and

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent after Asia. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 20% of Earth's land area and 6% of its total surfac ...

. They live in the water or in wet soils. They produce leaves on long petioles and some are cultivated for their attractive flowers. Leaves are of two types - linear and submerged or orbicular and floating. Some species have cleistogamic flowers.

Selected species

Accepted species include:

References

External links

* *
Jepson Manual Treatment
Pontederiaceae Commelinales genera Taxa named by José Antonio Pavón Jiménez Taxa named by Hipólito Ruiz López {{Commelinales-stub