Aponogeton distachyos

Taxobox
name = "Aponogeton distachyos"

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image_width = 240px
image_caption = "Aponogeton distachyos"
regnum = Plantae
divisio = Magnoliophyta
classis = Liliopsida
ordo = Alismatales
familia = Aponogetonaceae
genus = "Aponogeton"
binomial = "Aponogeton distachyos"
binomial_authority = L.f.

ynonym

"Aponogeton distachyum"

Common Names

Waterblommetjie, Cape-pondweed, Water Hawthorn, Vleikos, Cape Pond Weed

Origin

Native to South Africa Western Cape and Mpumalanga Provinces but introduced elsewhere in quiet ponds in warm temperate to subtropical climates in winter rainfall areas. It grows in ponds and vleis which dry up in summer, becoming dormant in the dry summer and growing again when the pools fill with autumn rain.African FLowering Plants Database: [http://www.ville-ge.ch/cjb/bd/africa/details.php?langue=an&id=14109 "Aponogeton distachyos"] ] PlantZAfrica [http://www.plantzafrica.com/plantab/aponogetondist.htm "Aponogeton distachyos"] ]

Description

It is an aquatic plant growing from a tuberous rhizome. The often mottled leaves float on the water surface from a petiole up to 1 m long from the rhizome; the leaf blade is narrow oval, 6–25 cm long and 1.5–7.7 cm broad, with an entire margin and parallel veins. The flowers are produced on an erect spike with two branches at the apex like a 'Y', held above the water surface; they are sweetly scented, with one or two white petal-like perianth segments 1-2 cm long, and six or more dark purple-brown stamens.Flora of NW Europe: [http://ip30.eti.uva.nl/BIS/flora.php?selected=beschrijving&menuentry=soorten&id=4174 "Aponogeton distachyos"] ] Blamey, M. & Grey-Wilson, C. (1989). "Flora of Britain and Northern Europe". ISBN 0-340-40170-2] Flora of North America: [http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=222000011 "Aponogeton distachyos"] ]

The species was described by Carolus Linnaeus the Younger in "Supplementum Plantarum" 32, 214. 1782 (as "distachyon").

Cultivation and uses

It is widely cultivated in South Africa for its edible buds and flowers, used in the recipe Waterblommetjiebredie.Plants for a Future: [http://www.pfaf.org/database/plants.php?Aponogeton+distachyos "Aponogeton distachyos"] ]

It is also used as an aquarium and pond plant. It was introduced to Europe in the seventeenth century, and later into other parts of the world. It has escaped into the wild and has become widely naturalised in Australia, and more locally in France and England. In North America it is naturalised in southern and western California.Australian Plant Name Index: [http://www.anbg.gov.au/cgi-bin/apni?taxon_name=Aponogeton%20distachyos%25 "Aponogeton distachyos"] ]

It will grow in full sun or partial shade. Planting depth should be about 18 inches (45cm).

In the UK at least it flowers rather unpredictably, but the first flowers generally appear from mid-spring onwards with a break in mid-summer. During a mild winter the flowers may continue to appear intermittently. In deeper water the dormant plants survive the winter at the bottom of the pond, but where winters are severe it is a good idea to lift them and overwinter indoors. They can be divided from November to April. Seeds can be found floating on the surface of the aquarium / pond and can be sown in the Spring in about just over an inch of water (3cm) on a peat / loam substrate at about 20C (68F) where theywill germinate in 1 - 2 months.Pot on into individual pots and grow in a sheltered spot for the first year in shallow water.

References

External links

* [http://www.plantzafrica.com/plantab/aponogetondist.htm "Aponogeton distachyos - includes Recipe for Waterblommetjie Bredie (stew)"]
* [http://www.mobot.org/gardeninghelp/plantfinder/Plant.asp?code=B893 "St Louis area, USA, growing tips"]
* [http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=222000011 " Flora of North America"]