# A native plant in Sind, Pakistan.



## Tanan (Mar 11, 2009)

Hey guys
So a friend of mine went to this hiking thing and found me this plant among najas guadelpensis and white lilies. Can you guys tell what it is? It's rosette like a sword but it produces pods.


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## Cavan Allen (Jul 22, 2004)

Looks like _Ottelia alismoides_.


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## miremonster (Mar 26, 2006)

I agree with Cavan.
Fortunately, the family Hydrocharitaceae (with Ottelia) is included in the online "Flora of Pakistan":
http://www.tropicos.org/Name/42000326?projectid=32
and the only Ottelia species in this flora is O. alismoides: http://www.tropicos.org/Name/40035041?projectid=32

Najas guadalupensis doesn't occur naturally in Asia but in the Americas, I think the plant that You have seen was likely another species. For Pakistan they list 4 Najas species: N. marina, N. graminea, N. minor, N. oguraensis: http://www.tropicos.org/Name/40024943?projectid=32
(ID quite difficult)


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## Tanan (Mar 11, 2009)

You guys are the best! Thanks a lot guys. I really really appreciate your help.
I'm pretty sure it was guadelpensis, since Mire you identified as guadelpensis yourself. I'll try to get pics of it though. You think Elatine triandra can be found in Pakistan? Cause I think I saw something like the emersed form of it too.


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## miremonster (Mar 26, 2006)

Tanan said:


> I'm pretty sure it was guadelpensis, since Mire you identified as guadelpensis yourself.


Oops... In which thread? Can't really remember, but if I had known that You've found the Najas growing in the wild in Pakistan, I hadn't written that it's guadalupensis. There are also other Najas species looking similar to that American species, e.g. N. graminea. ID not possible without checking certain tiny details (see "Flora of Pakistan" online).


> You think Elatine triandra can be found in Pakistan? Cause I think I saw something like the emersed form of it too.


Again Flora of Pakistan: http://www.tropicos.org/Name/42000096?projectid=32
=> in the family Elatinaceae (where Elatine belongs to) only 3 _Bergia_ species (with Elatine names as synonyms), no Elatine. Nevertheless, that what You've seen is surely interesting.


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## miremonster (Mar 26, 2006)

OK, here was it: http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/plant-id/86163-plant-id.html
And as You can read in my last postings there, I doubted that it's guadalupensis, because of the leaf length exceeding that in the available descriptions. Now knowing that You've collected it in Pakistan, I'm sure it's not Najas guadalupensis (not occurring there according to Flora of Pakistan) but another Najas species.


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## Tanan (Mar 11, 2009)

Oh Ok. Thanks a ton Mire.


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