Aponogeton distachyos

Native to South Africa's 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]

File:Aponogeton distachyon drawing.png

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]{{dead link|date=October 2016 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}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").

File:Waterblommetjie pickers (7808722170).jpg

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 {{Convert|45|cm}}.{{Cn|date=May 2021}}

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 (3 cm) on a peat / loam substrate at about {{Convert|20|C}} where they will germinate in 1–2 months. Pot on into individual pots and grow in a sheltered spot for the first year in shallow water.{{Cn|date=May 2021}}

{{Reflist}}

• [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]

{{AfricanPlants| Aponogeton distachyos}}

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distachyos

Category:Endemic flora of South Africa

Category:Freshwater plants

Category:Plants described in 1782

Category:Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus the Younger

Category:Flora of the Cape Provinces