Urospatha is a genus of flowering plants in the family Araceae that consists of 11 known species. They are found growing in South America and Central America in swamps, wet savannahs, and brackish water. The leaves of the species in this genus are upward pointing and sagittate (arrow-shaped). The inflorescences are quite unique; the spathe is mottled and elongated with a spiral twist at the end. The seeds are distributed by water and have a texture similar to cork that allows them to float. They also quickly germinate in water.
Selected species
- Urospatha angustiloba <small>Engl.</small> - northwestern Brazil
- Urospatha antisylleptica <small>R.E.Schult.</small> - Colombia
- Urospatha caudata <small>(Poepp.) Schott</small> - Peru, northwestern Brazil
- Urospatha edwallii <small>Engl.</small> - southeastern Brazil
- Urospatha friedrichsthalii <small>Schott</small> - Costa Rica, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Panama
- Urospatha loefgreniana <small>Engl.</small> - central + southern Brazil
- Urospatha meyeri <small>Schott</small> - Suriname
- Urospatha riedeliana <small>Schott</small> - northeastern Brazil
- Urospatha sagittifolia <small>(Rudge) Schott</small> - Brazil, Paraguay, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, the Guianas
- Urospatha somnolenta <small>R.E.Schult.</small> - Colombia
- Urospatha wurdackii <small>(G.S.Bunting) A.Hay</small> - Colombia, Venezuela
References