Algae and Plants
77
Sagittaria rigida (Pursh)
Order: Alismatales
Family: Alismataceae.
Common name: Sessile-fruited arrowhead, stiff arrowhead.
Distribution: Native to Canada and the
United States, UK.
Habitat: Shallow water, swamps,
marshes, streams, lake borders, and
ponds.
Description: It is an erect or floating
perennial, emergent aquatic, 10–60 cm
tall. Flower is white, three-parted,
1.5–2.5 cm wide. Inflorescence is of
two to eight whorls of flowers with 1
unbranched stalk. Upper male flowers
large and stalked, and lower female
flowers are smaller and stalkless.
Leaf is usually broadly lance shaped,
sometimes with small lobes at the
base. Tubers, laterals, young leaves,
and shoots of the flower stalks of this
species are edible (Plants for a Future,
1996–2012c).
Nutritional Facts
Proximate Composition (% DM)
Protein
Ash
Fiber
14.78
2.27
23.69
Minerals (% or mg/100 g DM)
Ca
(%)
P
(%)
K
(%)
Na
(%)
Mg
(%)
Fe
(mg)
Mn
(mg)
Mo
(mg)
0.99
0.31 1.82 0.243 0.432 2083 236 30.2
Source: Data from Linn et al. (1975).