Tristicha trifaria (Bory ex Willd.), Spreng., Syst. Veg.

Bedoya, Ana M. & Pérez, Álvaro J., 2023, New records of riverweeds (Podostemaceae) from the tropical Andes (Ecuador and Colombia): getting our feet wet to bypass collection bias in Neotropical rivers, Phytotaxa 585 (4), pp. 274-280 : 277

1. Tristicha trifaria (Bory ex Willd.)

Spreng., Syst. Veg. ed. 16: 22. 1824

TYPE:— Mauritius, Bory de St. Vincent

Notes:—The voucher specimens here identified as Tristicha trifaria are assigned to this species due to the presence of leafy stems with tristichous leaves (photosynthetic shootlets or ramuli). Flowering axis with two bracts enclosing a flower before anthesis. Flowers have a single stamen and 3 stigmas; all defining traits of T. trifaria ( Figure 1b ).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Podostemaceae recorded in fast-flowing aquatic ecosystems in Andean rivers of Ecuador and Colombia. a) Lophogyne cf. aeruginosa collected in Saloya River in Ecuador. The habit, prostrate stem, flowers each subtended by a spathella, stamens (two) on one side of ovary, lack of andropodium, and capsular fruits are shown. b) Tristicha trifaria collected in Ancho River in Colombia (top), Arenal River in Colombia (bottom left), and in Caoni River, Ecuador (bottom center and bottom right). The habit, tristichous leaves (photosynthetic shootlets or ramuli), stigmas (three), bracts (two) enclosing the flower before anthesis, the single stamen in a flower, and capsular fruits are shown. Information on the specific localities is in Table 1.