Morphological characters and geographical distribution are the same as those of the family.

Source: [
• 11
]. 

Herbs with milky sap. Leaves sheathing at base; axillary scales present. Inflorescences branched [unbranched], projected above water. Flowers bilaterally symmetric, sessile; stamens 6--18--[50]; filaments distinct; anthers 2-locular; pistils 2--6[--9], sessile. Fruits: beak terminal [lateral], curved or straight. Seeds: endosperm absent; seed coat single or double. x = 8.

Source: [
• 12
]. 

Styles distinct.

Source: [
• 3
]. 

Aquatics

Source: [
• 3
]. 

Perianth-segments 1-3, white or coloured

Source: [
• 3
]. 

Scapes simple or bifid, with unilateral flowers

Source: [
• 3
]. 

Flowers with white, yellow, mauve or bluish-violet petal-like appendages (tepals), rarely with tepals lacking

Source: [
• 10
]. 

Small to medium-sized perennial herbs growing in seasonally wet soil or submerged in temporary pools or similar habitats, rarely in permanent water; leaf-blades and flowers often floating on the surface of the water

Source: [
• 10
]. 

Ovaries green, blue or lilac

Source: [
• 10
]. 

Stamens with yellowish or brown anthers often early turning blackish; connnective sometimes protruding into a conical appendage; pollen-grains monosulcate, borne in monads

Source: [
• 10
]. 

Follicles bottle-shaped with a distinct beak, containing 1–12 rounded to fusiform seeds, which are often prominendy longitudinally ribbed.

Source: [
• 10
]. 

Tuber globular to oval or more irregular in shape, usually grey to brown with very numerous roots from upper part Leaves usually with a long petiole and a distinct blade with a few parallel primary veins and numerous transverse secondary veins, but in some species, e.g. A. vallisnerioides, the leaf-blade is linear

Source: [
• 10
]. 

Inflorescence with spirally or unilaterally arranged flowers in a loose or dense simple or bifid spike; spathe present, but usually very early caducous

Source: [
• 10
]. 

Caractères identiques à ceux de la famille.\n\t\t\t\tGenre comprenant 40 espèces. Pour la Flore : 7 espèces; une huitième (A. violaceus K. Lye) existe en Zambie, à proximité de la dition, et pourrait être découverte dans celle-ci; elle est reprise dans la clé.\n\t\t\t\tLa souche tubéreuse amylifère de la plupart des espèces est comestible et semble être, dans certaines contrées, une source importante de nourriture en période de famine. Les feuilles et les inflorescences peuvent se manger comme légume. Les aquariophiles cultivent de nombreuses espèces.

Source: [
• 13
].