Spermatophyta: Monocotyledonae: Alismatales

Aponogetonaceae - Cape pondweed family

Lye, K. (1989) Aponogetonaceae Flora of Tropical East Africa

Martins, E.S. (2009) Aponogetonaceae Flora Zambesiaca 12(2)

Obermeyer, A.A. (1966) Aponogetonaceae Flora of Southern Africa 1

Description of the family

Aquatic herbs, arising from tubers. Leaves basal, alternate, simple, submerged, aerial or with a floating lamina. Spikes exserted, simple or forked, enveloped in bud by a hood-shaped spathe. Flowers bisexual or female, actinomorphic. Perianth segments 1-3, petaloid, white, pink, red, mauve or yellow. Stamens 6-16, free. Carpels 2-8, free, sessile; ovules 2-8. Fruit a follicle, opening on the adaxial side. Seeds fusiform, in some species with a spongy outer covering.

Worldwide: 1 genus and 43 species, Old World tropics.

Zimbabwe: 1 genus and 5 taxa.

Links to genera: View: living plant images - herbarium specimen images - all images for this family

Genus	Content
Aponogeton L.f.	Description, Image

Other sources of information about Aponogetonaceae:

Our websites:

Flora of Botswana: Aponogetonaceae
Flora of Caprivi: Aponogetonaceae
Flora of the DRC: Aponogetonaceae
Flora of Malawi: Aponogetonaceae
Flora of Mozambique: Aponogetonaceae
Flora of Rwanda: Aponogetonaceae
Flora of Zambia: Aponogetonaceae

External websites:

African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): Aponogetonaceae
BHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library): Aponogetonaceae
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Aponogetonaceae
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): Aponogetonaceae
Google: Web - Images - Scholar
iNaturalist: Aponogetonaceae
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Aponogetonaceae
JSTOR Plant Science: Aponogetonaceae
Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Aponogetonaceae
Wikipedia: Aponogetonaceae
Plants of the World Online: Aponogetonaceae
Tropicos: Aponogetonaceae