Kingdom Plantae Family Alismataceae Rank Species | Order Alismatales Genus Sagittaria | |
Similar Sagittaria isoetiformis, Sagittaria cuneata, Sagittaria secundifolia, Sagittaria rigida, Sagittaria sanfordii | ||
Sagittaria guayanensis, the Guyanese arrowhead, is an aquatic plant species. It is predominantly tropical, native to Mexico, Central America, the West Indies, and much of South America, as well as West Africa (from Senegal to Cameroon), south and southeast Asia (from Afghanistan to Taiwan to Indonesia), plus Sudan and Madagascar. It was unknown in the United States until a few populations were reported from Louisiana in 1969.
The epithet has incorrectly been spelled "guyanensis" by some authors. Type locale is not Guyana but rather in the Guayana region in what is now eastern Venezuela, regarded as part of Colombia when the specimen was collected.
Sagittaria guayanensis is a perennial herb with broadly hastate (arrow-shaped) leaves with ovate lobes.