| Sagittaria macrophylla | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Monocots |
| Order: | Alismatales |
| Family: | Alismataceae |
| Genus: | Sagittaria |
| Species: | S. macrophylla |
| Binomial name | |
| Sagittaria macrophylla Zucc. | |
Sagittaria macrophylla, common name papa de agua, is an aquatic plant species. It produces underground starchy tubers that are edible. [1] It has large, hastate (arrow-shaped) leaves with blades up to 30 centimetres (12 inches) long. The terminal lobe is large and broadly lanceolate, while the two basal lobes are much smaller and narrower. [2] [3] [ better source needed ]
It is endemic to central Mexico (States of Jalisco, Michoacán, México, Hidalgo, and the Distrito Federal), primarily in the region close to the nation's capital. It grows in clean, shallow, slow-moving water. It is considered threatened by habitat destruction due to urbanization. [2]
The tubers and those of other species of Sagittaria are a traditional food source in central Mexico, referred to as papa de agua ('water potato').