Description: Annual, ephemeral or perennial herbs, with bulbs or rhizomes.
Leaves all basal, semi-terete, ligulate or auriculate.
Inflorescence racemose or spicate. Flowers bisexual, 3-merous. Perianth segments 6, in 2 whorls, falling readily. Stamens 6. Carpels 6, sometimes 3 sterile, fused for various lengths, each 1-ovuled; stigmas equal to number of fertile carpels.
Individual fruit indehiscent, separating, mostly with carpophore.
Distribution and occurrence: World: c. 24 species, America & Australia. Australia: c. 12 species (1 naturalised), all States.
Text by S. W. L. Jacobs; updated Louisa Murray Feb 2017
Taxon concept: From - S. von Mering & J.W. Kadereit in O. Seberg et al. (eds), Diversity, Phylogeny, and Evolution in the Monocotyledons: 73 (2010)
| | Key to the species | |
| 1 | Perennials of more or less permanently aquatic habitats | Triglochin striata |
| Annuals or ephemerals of ephemerally wet habitats or damp ground | 2 |
| 2 | All carpels fertile; individual fruit cylindrical with a short conical summit; each carpel rounded on the back, with 2 short, spreading spurs at the base | Triglochin turrifera |
| Fertile carpels alternating with sterile ones; individual fruit tapered or angular, not cylindrical with a conical top; fertile carpels either keeled or winged, with or without basal spurs
Back to 1 | 3 |
| 3 | Fruit about twice as long as wide; fertile carpels each with 2 angular wings and no basal spurs | Triglochin hexagona |
| Fruit more or less linear, tapering gradually towards apex; fertile carpels more or less keeled, wings absent, each with 2 basal not prominent spurs
Back to 2 | 4 |
| 4 | Basal spurs on carpels incurved, conspicuous | Triglochin isingiana |
| Basal spurs on carpels straight, not prominent
Back to 3 | Triglochin nana |
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