An Illustrated Flora of the Northern United States, Canada and the British Possessions/Mayacaceae
Family 14. Mayacàceae Walp. Ann. 3: 662. 1853..
Slender branching aquatic moss-like herbs, with linear sessile i-nerved entire soft leaves, notched at the apex. Flowers solitary, peduncled, white, perfect, and regular, the peduncles bracted at the base. Perianth persistent, consisting of 3 lanceolate green herbaceous sepals and 3 obovate white spreading petals. Stamens 3, hypogynous, alternate with the petals; filaments filiform; anthers oblong, somewhat 4-sided, 2-celled. Ovary superior, sessile, 1-celled with 3 parietal placentae ; ovules several or numerous, orthotropous ; style filiform ; stigmas terminal, entire or with 3 short lobes. Capsule 1-celled, 3-valved. Seeds ovoid or globose, the testa reticulated ; embryo at the apex of the mealy endosperm.
The family consists of the following genus.