Kidneyleaf Mudplantain

Heteranthera reniformis R. & P. Fl. Per.
Heterandra reniformis Beativ. Trans. Am. Phil. Soc. 4: 175. 1799.
Heteranthera acuta Willd. Ges. Nat. Freunde Berlin Neue Schr. 3: 438. 1801.
Leptanthus reniformis Michx. Fl. Bor. Am. 125. 1803.
Leptanlhus virginicus Pers. Syn. PI. 1: 56. 1805.
Leptanthus peruvianus Pers. Syn. PI. 1: 56. 1805.
Heteranthera acuta Vahl, Enum. 2: 42. 1805.
Buchosia aquatica Veil. Fl. Flum. 33. 1825.
Heteranthera virginica Steud. Nom. Bot. ed. 2. 2: 29, as synonym. 1841.
Schollera reniformis Kuntze, Rev. Gen. 719. 1891.
Phrynium reniforme Kuntze, Rev. Gen. 3 3 : 318. 1898.
Plant floating or creeping in mud, the stems elongate, branching; leaves erect, the petioles up to 15 cm. long, the blades reniform, or rarely orbicular-reniform, up to 5 cm. wide and 3 cm. long; lower spathe-bract leaf -like, the upper one loosely sheathing, 1-3 cm. long, abruptly caudate; inflorescence spicate, up to 5 cm. long, 2-6-flowered; perianth-tube 6-9 mm long, the limb spreading, white or pale-blue, 8-12 mm. across, its lobes lanceolate, the three outer ones narrower; stamens unequal and dissimilar, the larger one 3 mm. long with linear-oblong anthers, the smaller two 1.5 mm. long with globular anthers; filaments all long-bearded, dilated towards the base; style about the length of the small anthers, pubescent, the stigma appearing capitate, but minutely 3-lobed, papillose; capsule 8-12 mm. long, narrowly conic; seeds columnar, paleyellow-brown, 0.5-0 8 mm. long, 0.3-0.5 mm. wide, 10-winged, the wings evanescent, leaving ridges at maturity.
Type locality: Province of Cercado (now included in Lima), Peru.
Distribution: Connecticut to Nebraska and Texas; Mexico, Central America, and the West Indies; also in South America.