Common names: None

Family: Nymphaeaceae

Could be confused with: Ondinea.

Native distribution: Tropical S.E. Asia.

Species commonly cultivated:
Barclaya longifolia Wall. (India to Papua New Guinea)

Adventive distribution: None.

Weed status: not weedy.

Habit: Submersed plant with tuberous corm or slender rhizome.

Brief description: Perennial, submersed (with no emersed leaves). Stem a corm or elongate rhizome. Leaves in rosettes along rhizome, petiolate; leaf blade oblong (orbicular in B. motleyi Hook. f.), red-brownish or green; margin entire, undulate. Flower borne on elongate petiole, either open and emergent or remaining submersed and closed; sepals 5; petals 8-10, red. Fruit contains numerous spiked orbicular seeds. Dispersal primarily by seed. Plant undergoes periodic resting stages.

Natural habitat: Ponds and streams.

Additional comments: Barclaya contains just two species. Barclaya longifolia is well established in the aquarium hobby, and readily propogates by seed. Barclaya motleyi Hook.f. is much more demanding and is not cultivated for aquaria.