Thalia L.
water canna, powdery alligatorflag, Indian bayou, powdery thalia
Marantaceae
Canna, Monochoria, Pontederia, Schumannianthus
America
Thalia dealbata Fraser
T. geniculata L.
Australia
not weedy
emergent, broad-leaved rosetterosette:
(n) a radiating cluster of leaves, usually close to the ground at the base of a plant
plant
Perennial. Emergentemergent:
(adj) (syn. emersed) with parts raised out of the water; extending up out of the water
, tall. Stem narrow and rhizomatousrhizomatous:
(adj) possessing rhizomes
. Leaves alternatealternate:
(adj) (of leaves) bearing one leaf per node; placed singly on the stem at different heights
; petiolepetiole:
(n) the stalk of a leaf
narrow, sheathed; leaf bladeblade:
(n) (syn. lamina) the flat, expanded part of a leaf, frond, or petal (excluding, e.g., the petiole)
broad ovate-lanceolate, venationvenation:
(n) the arrangement of veins in a leaf
pinnatepinnate:
(adj) in the form of a feather; of, e.g., leaflets, lobes, or veins: arranged in two rows along an axis
, laterallateral:
(adj) on or pertaining to the side of an organ or structure
veins closely spaced and parallel; marginmargin:
(n) edge; rim
entireentire:
(adj) having a continuous margin that is not toothed or lobed
. Inflorescenceinflorescence:
(n) the arrangement of flowers on the floral axis
an open, bracteatebracteate:
(adj) possessing or bearing bracts
panicle. Flowers in sessilesessile:
(adj) attached directly, without a stalk
pairs, zygomorphiczygomorphic:
(adj) bilaterally symmetrical; symmetrical along only one plane
; sepals 3, subequal; petals 3, fused at base. Dispersal by seed.
lakes, swamps, and rivers
A genus with six species, with only a few aquatic. Thalia dealbata is the species most commonly cultivated for ponds. Thalia geniculata is slightly smaller than T. dealbata and has characteristic red stems basally.