Aponogeton

Scientific name

Aponogeton L.

Common names

lace plant

Family

Aponogetonaceae

Similar genera

Barclaya, Crinum, Cryptocoryne, Damasonium, Echinodorus, Jasarum, Hydrocleys, Ottelia, Potamogeton

Native distribution

tropical and subtropical Africa, Madagascar, Asia, Australia

Species cultivated

Numerous species, with the taxonomy updated fequently. Some are:

Aponogeton boivinianus Baill. ex Jum.

A. capuronii H. Bruggen

A. crispus Thunb.

A. distachyos L. f.

A. elongatus F. Muell. ex Benth.

A. euryspermus Hellq. & S.W.L. Jacobs

A. longiplumulosus H. Bruggen

A. madagascariensis (Mirb.) H. Bruggen [also offered under the synonyms A. fenestralis (Pers.) Hook.f.) and A. henkelianus Baum]

A. natans (L.) Engl. & K.Krause

A. rigidifolius H. Bruggen

A. tofus S.W.L. Jacobs

A. ulvaceus Baker

A. undulatus Roxb. (A. stachyosporus de Wit)

A. vanbruggenii Hellq. & S.W.L. Jacobs

Adventive distribution

Aponogeton distachyos is introduced into parts of eastern Australia and the United States.

A. madagascariensis is established in Mauritius.

Weed status

not weedy

Habit

submergedsubmerged:
(adj) (syn. submersed) under water; submerged below the water surface
bulb plant with floating and rarely erect leaves (in at least one species)

Brief description

Stem tuberous or rhizomatousrhizomatous:
(adj) possessing rhizomes
. Leaves submergedsubmerged:
(adj) (syn. submersed) under water; submerged below the water surface
and/or floating, rarely emersedemersed:
see emergent
, in a rosetterosette:
(n) a radiating cluster of leaves, usually close to the ground at the base of a plant
, with or without petiolepetiole:
(n) the stalk of a leaf
; leaf bladeblade:
(n) (syn. lamina) the flat, expanded part of a leaf, frond, or petal (excluding, e.g., the petiole)
usually very long, linear to oblongoblong:
(adj) two to four times longer than wide, with +/- parallel sides
or ellipticelliptical:
(adj) in the form of an ellipse (oval)
, sometimes wavy, bullatebullate:
(adj) having a pimpled or blistered surface
or fenestrate. Flowers borne on elongate, single or forked spikespike:
(n) an indeterminate, unbranching inflorescence of sessile flowers or flower clusters on a usually elongated axis
above water level; immature spikespike:
(n) an indeterminate, unbranching inflorescence of sessile flowers or flower clusters on a usually elongated axis
enveloped by a sheath-like spathespathe:
(n) a large bract or bracts subtending and often enclosing an inflorescence
which falls off as inflorescenceinflorescence:
(n) the arrangement of flowers on the floral axis
opens. Flowers few to numerous, unisexualunisexual:
(adj) (of a flower) with either stamens (male) or pistils (female) but not both; consisting of only male or female flowers
or bisexualbisexual:
(adj) having both male and female sexual reproductive structures on one individual or in one flower
, small, white, yellow, pink or purple, with 2 petals and no sepals.

Natural habitat

typically found in still or running waters, mostly riverine

Additional comments

This distinctive genus of obligate aquatic plants is represented by 57 species in the Old World and is the only member of the family Aponogetonaceae. About a dozen species are commonly cultivated or harvested from the wild for sale in the aquarium hobby, although numerous other species are occasionally traded. Species of Aponogeton naturally undergo an annual resting cycle in which the leaves die back in the cool season, only to be replaced by fresh growth in the warm season. In Madagascar, Australia, and Sri Lanka some species are threatened by over-collecting for the aquarium trade.