About Sagittaria calycina Engelm. ex Torr., 1859
Sagittaria calycina Engelm. ex Torr., 1859 (here also referenced as Sagittaria montevidensis) is a robust, stemless, rhizomatous aquatic plant. Young plants produce ribbon-like submerged leaves, while older plants grow leaves that emerge above the water surface. Mature leaves are sagittate, glabrous, and can reach up to 28 centimeters (11 inches) in length and 23 centimeters (9 inches) in width. The plant’s terete, spongy petioles may grow over 0.75 meters (2 ½ feet) long and up to 7.5 centimeters (3 inches) thick. Inflorescences are typically shorter than the leaves and decumbent. Flowers grow in whorls or pairs at nodes, with a diameter of 2 to 3 centimeters. Each flower has three petals that are white with a distinct wine-colored stain, and three green sepals. Thick pedicels reach up to 5 centimeters (2 inches) in length. Flowering occurs from June to September. This species is widespread in wetlands across North America (the United States, Canada, and Mexico) and South America (Brazil, Bolivia, Ecuador, Peru, Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, and Uruguay). In North America, its distribution is disjunct: it occurs primarily across a broad region stretching from West Virginia to Texas to South Dakota, with isolated populations found in New Brunswick, Maine, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, California, Florida, and Alabama. It is reported to be naturalized in Spain, Tanzania, and the Island of Java in Indonesia. It grows preferentially at pond edges, in shallow, often only temporarily present water.
