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Cape Pondweed (Aponogeton distachyos)

Description

Aponogeton distachyos or Aponogeton distachyum, also known as waterblommetjie (lit. trans. water-floret), Cape-pondweed, water hawthorn, vleikos and Cape pond weed is an aquatic flowering plant.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.

Taxonomic tree

  • Domain: Eukarya

    • Kingdom: Plantae

      • Phylum: Magnoliophyta

        • Class: Liliopsida

          • Order: Alismatales

            • Family: Aponogetonaceae

              • Genus: Aponogeton