Hydrocharis dubia (PROSEA)

Plant Resources of South-East Asia Introduction

List of species

Hydrocharis dubia (Blume) Backer

Family: Hydrocharitaceae

Vernacular names

• Frog-bit (En)
• Indonesia: eceng lalaki (West Java), mangon-mangon (Manado)
• Thailand: phaktao (central), phakpot-ma (northern).

Distribution

From southern and eastern Asia to Australia, including South-East Asia.

Uses

Young leaves and young inflorescences can be eaten. Plants are cultivated in fish ponds as water cover.

Observations

• Small, aquatic, free-floating or rooting, fleshy, monoecious herb.
• Leaves emerged or floating, in rosettes; petiole up to 15 cm long with wide air-channels; leaf-blade ovate-cordate to broadly ovate, 2.5-6 cm × 2.5-7.5 cm, nerves curved, parallel, joining the marginal nerve, connected by straight, parallel cross-veins.
• Flowers enclosed in an axillary sheath before anthesis; male sheath peduncled with 2-4 pedicelled flowers; female sheath sessile with a solitary pedicelled flower; sepals white; petals white with a yellow base.

In pools and marshes, up to 1200 m altitude, locally gregarious.

Selected sources

7, 44, 91.