Echinodorus, commonly known as burhead[1] or Amazon sword,[citation needed] is a genus of plants in the family Alismataceae, native to the Western Hemisphere from the central United States to Argentina.

[2][3] Its scientific name is derived from Ancient Greek echius – "rough husk" - and doros – "leathern bottle" - alluding to ovaries, which in some species are armed with persistent styles, forming prickly head of fruit.

Leaves sessile or petiolate; petioles triangular, rarely terete; blade with translucent markings as dots or lines present or absent, linear to lanceolate to ovate, base attenuate to cordate, margins entire or undulating, apex obtuse to acute.

Most will grow in variable water conditions, though the majority need tropical or sub-tropical temperature ranges.

A submerged culture system was developed for rapid micropropagation of this commercially important aquarium plant, ‘Amazon sword’ (Echinodorus ‘Indian Red’).