Illustrative leaf, not this species
Limnophyton obtusifolium
Karantai / Arrow Head கரந்தை
Tamil name · See all regional names ↓
- Habit
- Herb
- Found in India
- Karnataka, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu & more
- Flowering
- December-August
Karantai in regional languages
Find the name you know, then compare it with the botanical profile. Columns list recorded aliases; they are not paired translations. A Latin spelling appears only when it is present in the source record.
| Language | Regional script | Recorded Latin spelling |
|---|---|---|
| Tamil | கரந்தை · குதிரைக்குளம்படி · நீர்ச்சேம்பு | Karantai, Kutiraikkulampati, Nirccempu |
| Malayalam | ചെളിതാമര · കുഴിതാമര | Chelithamara, Kuzhithamara |
| Marathi | नळकूट | Nalkut |
See the original recorded names
- Tamil
- கரந்தை Karantai, குதிரைக்குளம்படி Kutiraikkulampati, நீர்ச்சேம்பு Nirccempu
- Malayalam
- ചെളിതാമര Chelithamara, കുഴിതാമര Kuzhithamara
- Marathi
- नळकूट Nalkut
Ecology & growing context
- Native status · Kew WCVP
- WCVP native range includes India Kew dataset ↗︎
Kew WCVP dataset; accepted-name match. Dataset matching is separate from an individual regional review. Recorded worldwide native range: Trop. Old World.
- Recorded habitat
- In margins of tanks. Often on hills from 350m, in stagnant ponds and marshes
- Explore nearby plants
- Karnataka →Gujarat →Tamil Nadu →
Occurrence records show where a plant has been recorded; they do not establish that it is native there. Compare local habitat and growing conditions when choosing plants for a garden.
How to identify Karantai
Identify Karantai by combining habit, leaf characters, flower or fruit details, location, and its family pattern. Do not rely on one feature alone.
- Look for a herb habit.
- Check the distinctive field mark: Blunt-tipped arrowhead leaves.
- Confirm leaf shape: Sagittate (arrowhead-shaped).
- In season, compare flowering and fruiting time: December-August.
- In India, compare location records such as Karnataka, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh and nearby regions.
- Confirm it sits within the Alismataceae family pattern, then compare close relatives before deciding it is Karantai.
Plant Details
- Scientific name
- Limnophyton obtusifolium
- Genus
- Limnophyton
- Family
- Alismataceae
- Habit
- Herb
- Habitat
- In margins of tanks. Often on hills from 350m, in stagnant ponds and marshes
- Habitat type
- Wetland
- Native to
- Asia, Africa
- Distribution
- Tropical Africa, Madagascar through Southeast Asia to Malaysia
- Found in India
- Karnataka, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan
- Flowering & fruiting
- December-August
- Conservation status
- Least Concern (LC)
Leaf characters
- Leaf shape
- Sagittate (arrowhead-shaped)recorded
Characters marked “recorded” are for Karantai itself; the rest are typical of the Alismataceae family.
Flower & fruit characters
- Inflorescence
- Umbel
- Fruit
- Nut
Typical of the Alismataceae family — flowering plants only; individual species can differ.
About Karantai
Arrow Head (Limnophyton obtusifolium) belongs to the Alismataceae family, where it grows as a herb. In India it has been recorded in Karnataka, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu and 2 other states. It grows in in margins of tanks. Often on hills from 350m, in stagnant ponds and marshes. Flowering and fruiting run from December to August.
Alismataceae
Water-Plantain Or Arrowhead Family
Karantai belongs to the Alismataceae family.
The illustration represents the family — not necessarily this exact species.
Explore the Alismataceae familySnap it. Know it.
Point your camera at Karantai or any plant and SASYA identifies it instantly — on-device, offline, and private.
Common plant problems
If you are starting from symptoms instead of a diagnosis, use the plant disease symptom checker to narrow the cause before treating.
All plant problem & care guides