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Botanical Family · Alismatales

Hydrocharitaceae

Frog's-Bit Family

3 speciesOrder Alismatales3+ well-known plants

The Hydrocharitaceae family (Frog's-Bit Family) is a botanical family placed in the order Alismatales. In the SASYA catalogue it spans 3 species across 3 genera. Its members are predominantly herbs. Well-represented genera include Hydrilla, Ottelia and Vallisneria. Several members are valued in traditional medicine. Familiar examples include Hydrilla, duck-lettuce and Tapegrass.

Browse all 3 species ↓
Representative HYDROCHARITACEAE specimen
Representative specimen · Hydrocharitaceae
Key pattern

Fully or partly submerged aquatic herbs with ribbon-like, oval, or whorled leaves depending on genus; flowers are unisexual, often enclosed in bud by a papery sheath before rising or floating to the surface to open.

Several genera, including the invasive Hydrilla, can grow and spread almost entirely vegetatively underwater, breaking into fragments that each root and grow into a new independent plant.

Identify the species

Which Hydrocharitaceae species is this?

Answer what you can see and narrow it down to a single Hydrocharitaceae species.

Click a node to trace its path · pinch or scroll to zoom · drag to pan
Leaf ShapeWhat is the overall shape of the leaf blade?
Linear
Linear (long and narrow, parallel sides)
Ovate (egg-shaped, broad at base)
Family identification method

To check whether a plant belongs to Hydrocharitaceae, compare the leaf arrangement, leaf type, flower symmetry, fruit type, and one distinctive marker together. A single feature can mislead; the family pattern is the combination.

Learn the full family-identification method

Typical leaf characters

  • ArrangementVariable
  • Simple type leaf characterTypeSimple
  • MarginVariable
  • VenationVariable

Characters typical of the family — individual species can vary.

Notable members

HydrillaHydrilla verticillataDuck-LettuceOttelia alismoidesTapegrassVallisneria spiralis

Families that can look similar

Araceae

Compare against Araceae when the plant shares similar leaves, flowers, or fruit. Confirm by checking the full family pattern.

Compare Araceae

Alismataceae

Compare against Alismataceae when the plant shares similar leaves, flowers, or fruit. Confirm by checking the full family pattern.

Compare Alismataceae

Aponogetonaceae

Compare against Aponogetonaceae when the plant shares similar leaves, flowers, or fruit. Confirm by checking the full family pattern.

Compare Aponogetonaceae

Lemnaceae

Compare against Lemnaceae when the plant shares similar leaves, flowers, or fruit. Confirm by checking the full family pattern.

Compare Lemnaceae

All 3 species in HYDROCHARITACEAE

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