Blyxa kasaragodensis,a new species of Hydrocharitaceae from the ponds in the laterite plateau of Malabar coast, Kerala, India

Abstract

A new aquatic species Blyxa kasaragodensis, collected from the ponds in the lateritc plateau of the Malabar coast, Kerala, India, is described and illustrated. This new species is similar to Blyxa octandra and Blyxa quadricostata in the dioecious nature, elongation of petals at the anthesis and in the number of stamens, but it shows many variations from the similar species such as purplish leaves, submerged male flowers, globular anther lobes, presence of compound pollen grain, large pollen grains, apetalous female flowers and long tail of the seeds. The pollination of Blyxa kasaragodensis takes place with the help of water and the mechanism is new to the genus Blyxa.