Common arrowhead

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Common arrowhead
Common arrowhead (Sagittaria sagittifolia)

Common arrowhead ( Sagittaria sagittifolia )

Systematics
Class : Bedecktsamer (Magnoliopsida)
Monocots
Order : Frog-spoon-like (Alismatales)
Family : Frog-spoon family (Alismataceae)
Genre : Arrowhead ( Sagittaria )
Type : Common arrowhead
Scientific name
Sagittaria sagittifolia
L.

The Ordinary arrowhead ( Sagittaria sagittifolia ), also arrow sheet called, is a plant of the genus arrowhead ( Sagittaria ) within the family of alismataceae (Alismataceae). The name of this species is derived from the arrow-shaped shape of the leaf blade. It is an aquatic plant of the shallow water zone.

description

illustration
Foliage leaf, flower and fruit
Stamens with purple anthers
Male flower
Female flower / fruit
Fruit, front nuts removed
fruit

Appearance and leaf

The common arrowhead is a perennial , herbaceous plant that reaches heights of 20 to 100 centimeters. The plant shape is very changeable; in particular, it has very different leaf shapes. Underwater leaves are ribbon-shaped. The floating leaves lying on the water surface are oval shaped. The leaf blades of the stalked air leaves have the characteristic and eponymous arrow shape, which in turn can be differently pointed and narrow.

Generative characteristics

The flowering period extends from June to August. The common arrowhead is monoecious, separate sexes ( monoecious ). The terminal inflorescence is based on a triangular stem. At the lower end of the whorl are the pure white, smaller female flowers . Higher up are the larger and longer-stalked male flowers, which have a purple-red palate.

The numerous fruits are solitary, winged at the back and belly seams, 3 to 5 millimeters long, strongly flattened and short-billed nuts with floating tissue .

The number of chromosomes is 2n = 22.

ecology

The common arrowhead is a perennial marsh plant and aquatic plant and a mud root. As an amphibious plant, this species can live in water as well as on land, making it a vivid example of a major modification . In sunny locations, the basal leaf lobes point north; thus the species belongs to the compass plants . The vegetative reproduction takes place through starch- rich , walnut-sized sprouts, which are formed in autumn at the end of thin, easily broken off runners ; they serve as a wintering organ as well as a spreading organ. The tubers are wrapped in a leaf, and the rigid tip of the leaf allows the tuber stalks to be easily pushed into the mud.

In terms of flower ecology, it is "pollen disk flowers". The nectar is deposited at the base of the ovary and is easily accessible. Pollinators are hoverflies and other insects . Cleistogamy also occurs when the water level is high .

As the fruits cannot be wetted, swimming periods of up to 12 months are possible. They spread as a swimmer and as an attachment to waterfowl. It also spreads as a wind spreader . Fruit ripening is from August to September.

Occurrence

The common arrow herb is common in western Eurasia from Europe to the Caucasus. The occurrence is limited to the lowlands and altitudes of up to 500 meters.

In their area of ​​distribution, the common arrowhead is particularly common on the banks of lime and nutrient-rich waters. It prefers standing or calm flowing water. It is a character species of the Sagittario-Sparganietum from the association Phragmition. in the exclusively submerged variety Sagittaria sagittifolia var. vallisneriifolia Coss. & Germ. it occurs in water depths of up to 200 centimeters and is a characteristic of the Ranunculion fluitantis association.

Taxonomy

The first publication of Sagittaria sagittifolia was in 1753 by Carl von Linné .

use

The tubers of the common arrow leaf are very rich in starch and were often eaten in the past. Uncooked, the tubers should have a nutty taste. When cooked, it is said to be reminiscent of peas.

literature

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c Erich Oberdorfer : Plant-sociological excursion flora for Germany and neighboring areas. 8th edition. Page 111. Stuttgart, Verlag Eugen Ulmer, 2001. ISBN 3-8001-3131-5
  2. ↑ Rafaël Govaerts (Ed.): Sagittaria sagittifolia - data sheet at World Checklist of Selected Plant Families of the Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Last accessed on August 20, 2016.

Web links

Commons : Common arrowhead ( Sagittaria sagittifolia )  - album with pictures, videos and audio files