1262

 Calamaria coromandelina (L. f.) Kuntze

Family	:	Isoetaceae
Local name	:	English- quillworts,
Distribution	:	Quillworts are distributed all around the world and are found on all continents excluding Antarctica.
Distribution in kerala	:	All districts
Habitat	:	Wetlands
Endemic/Exotic	:	Exotic
Key botanical characters :   The plant body consists of a condensed, lobed corm or axis that bears a tuft of roots at the base and long feathery leaves on the top. Isoetes species are typically small plants with long, narrow leaves that grow from the base of the plant. Their leaves are usually within 5-20 cm long, although a few species have leaves that grow to over 60 cm in length and the largest species has leaves up to 1 m long. One plant tends to have around 10-30 leaves.A quillwort leaf contains a single vein and four air chambers that run the length of the leaf. It is the presence of a single veined leaf, known as a ‘microphyll’, that distinguishes the quillworts and other lycophytes from all other vascular plants. Submerged species of Isoetes have evergreen leaves whereas wetland species are often deciduous, losing their leaves over the non-growing seasons