Alismatidae (Noun)
Meaning
One of four subclasses or superorders of Monocotyledones; comprises about 500 species in 14 families of aquatic and semiaquatic herbs.
Classification
Nouns denoting plants.
Examples
- The Alismatidae is a primitive subclass of monocotyledonous flowering plants that includes cattails and water caltrops as well as duckweed and water chestnut.
- Plants in the Alismatidae subclass have flowers that are often small and unremarkable, but are arranged in inflorescences that are sometimes quite showy.
- Aquatic plants are readily found in the subclass Alismatidae, for example, the water lily and the cattail are both members of this group.
- The Alismatidae subclass is one of the most ancient groups of flowering plants, with fossil evidence dating back to the Cretaceous period.
- Some members of the Alismatidae subclass, such as the water caltrop, have seeds that are edible and are considered a delicacy in some parts of the world.