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Infl. of 1–2–(3) male fls, maturing one after the other, and one female fl., the whole enclosed within or associated with a membr. spathe. ♂ of a single stamen; filament projecting well beyond spathe; pollen sacs 1–2, rounded, splitting transversely; pollen globular. ♀ of rounded ovary and short erect style; carpel single, ovules 1–6, basal. Fr. flattened, sts ± winged. Seeds relatively large, smooth or ribbed with operculum at micropilar end. Very small aquatic herbs floating on or just under the surface of still or slowly moving water, often together forming a complete cover. Lvs absent, the plant consisting of ± flattened, green platelets with or without roots, each platelet arising from a bud in a horizontal pouch on an older platelet; infl. produced in a similar pouch. Genera 4, widespread in temperate and tropical countries.