Aponogeton madagascariensis

Last updated

Aponogeton madagascariensis
Aponogeton madagascariensis.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Alismatales
Family: Aponogetonaceae
Genus: Aponogeton
Species:
A. madagascariensis
Binomial name
Aponogeton madagascariensis
Madagascar in its region.svg
Aponogeton madagascariensis is native to the Comoros and Madagascar. It has been introduced to Mauritius. [2]
Synonyms [2]
  • Urirandra madagascariensisMirb.
  • Aponogeton fenestralis(Pers.) Hook.f.
  • Aponogeton fenestralis var. majorBaum
  • Aponogeton guillotiiHochr.
  • Aponogeton henkelianusBaum
  • Aponogeton madagascariensis var. henkelianus(Baum) H.Bruggen
  • Aponogeton madagascariensis var. major(Baum) H.Bruggen
  • Hydrogeton fenestralisPers.
  • Urirandra fenestralis(Pers.) Poir.

Aponogeton madagascariensis is commonly known as Madagascar laceleaf, lattice leaf or lace plant. It is an aquatic plant native to Madagascar, popularly sold for use in aquariums.

Contents

Description

It is an aquatic monocotyledonous perennial plant with tuberous rhizomes 3 centimetres (1.2 in) in diameter. The leaves are oblong, the leaf blade 15–55 cm long and from 5–16 cm broad, with a total leaf length including the petiole of up to 65 centimetres (26 in). The leaves spread horizontally beneath the surface of the water, and are little more than a lattice-like skeletal network of veins with no tissue between. The flowers are produced on an erect spike up to 1 metre (39 in) long, protruding up to 20 centimetres (7.9 in) above the water surface. There seem to be several forms of this plant in cultivation, some large, some much smaller. [3] [4]

Cultivation and uses

The tuberous roots are edible. It requires water temperatures of 15-26 °C and pH of 5-7.5, growing best in low light outdoors. [5] [6] [7] The substrate should be rich in nutrients.[ citation needed ]

It is a speciality in botanical gardens all over the world. It was once in such high demand that it came close to extinction in its natural habitat in Madagascar. [8]

A. madagascariensis is often regarded as a difficult plant to cultivate. This is due to several factors: 1) it needs bright indoor light to thrive; this encourages the growth of algae on the lattice-like leaves; which is difficult to remove; 2) newly imported bulbs grow well in their first year, but often fail in their second year, apparently due to a lack of food storage in the bulbs (cause still unknown); 3) seeds may be produced, but often fail to germinate or thrive. Some enthusiasts recommend strong water movement and a high filtration rate for this plant.[ citation needed ]

Related Research Articles

<i>Aponogeton</i> Genus of aquatic plants

The Aponogetonaceae are a family of flowering plants in the order Alismatales.

<i>Echinodorus cordifolius</i> Species of aquatic plant

Echinodorus cordifolius, the spade-leaf sword or creeping burhead, is a species of aquatic plants in the Alismatales. It is native to Mexico, the West Indies, Central America, South America and the southeastern United States.

<i>Aponogeton distachyos</i> Species of aquatic plant endemic to South Africa

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

<i>Aponogeton crispus</i> Species of aquatic plant

Aponogeton crispus is an aquatic plant species.

Aponogeton azureus is a species of plant in the Aponogetonaceae family. It is endemic to Namibia. Its natural habitat is freshwater marshes. It is threatened by habitat loss.

<i>Crinum thaianum</i> Species of aquatic plant

Crinum thaianum, common name Thai onion plant or water onion, is an emergent plant species endemic to coastal plain of southern Thailand in Ranong and Phang Nga Provinces. Its natural habitat is along the banks of running streams, where its roots and bulb are submerged but the flowering holds the umbel of large, showy flowers above the surface. This natural habits make it a wonderful addition for tropical aquaria, and it is sold in many lands to be used in decorating displays of tropical fish. In nature, however, the species is threatened and diminishing in numbers due to habitat destruction.

<i>Bolbitis heudelotii</i> Species of aquatic plant

Bolbitis heudelotii, also known as the African water fern, creeping fern, and Congo fern, is native to subtropical and tropical Africa, from Ethiopia west to Senegal; and down to northern South Africa.

<i>Aponogeton ulvaceus</i> Species of aquatic plant

Aponogeton ulvaceus is a submerged aquatic plant in the Aponogetonaceae family. It has a small cone shaped, slightly hairy rhizome about 30 mm in diameter. The leaf blades have a base that tapers gradually, pale green in colour, over 50 cm (20 in) long and 8 cm (3 in) broad, with a wavy margin on petioles of an equal length, and in appearance slightly translucent. A single bulb may produce up to forty leaves in good conditions. No floating leaves are formed. The yellow flowers are produced on one or two, and sometimes more, erect spikes.

Aponogeton longiplumulosus is a submerged aquatic plant that is native to Madagascar. It possesses an elongated rhizome 2–3 cm in diameter. The leaves are an olive green-brown, 8 - 14 inches (20–35 cm) long and 2.5 inches (6 cm) broad, with a fluted margin and a petiole up to about 24 inches (60 cm) long. No floating leaves are formed. New leaf colour forms have been introduced recently. The flowers are a dark violet in colour.

Aponogeton boivinianus is a species of flowering plant in the Aponogetonaceae family. It is Native to Madagascar

<i>Aponogeton rigidifolius</i> Species of aquatic plant

Aponogeton rigidifolius is a species of freshwater plant native to Sri Lanka. In the wild it grows in deep water at temperatures of 68 to 77 °F in sandy soil with the water pH at 7.2.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Perforate leaf</span>

Perforate leaves, sometimes called fenestrate, occur naturally in some species of plants. Holes develop as a leaf grows.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harry van Bruggen</span> Dutch botanist

Heinrich (Harry) Wilhelm Eduard van Bruggen was a Dutch amateur botanist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aponogeton bernierianus</span> Species of aquatic plant

Aponogeton bernerianus is an aquatic plant from eastern Madagascar. It has a 3 cm thick tuber or thick and branchy rhizome. Leaf blade up to 13 cm petiolate, strap-shaped, highly bullate and undulate, up to 50(-120) cm long and 1.5-6.5(-10) cm wide, dark green coloration. Peduncle up to 75 cm long, tapering towards the inflorescence. Spathe up to 15 mm long, caducous. Inflorescence with 3-15 up to 8-cm long spikes with omnilateral flowers; 2(3) white tepals; 6 stamens; 3(4) carpels with 2 ovules each. Fruit about 10 x 7 mm. Seed about 7x4 mm in size, simple testa.

<i>Aponogeton capuronii</i> Species of aquatic plant

Aponogeton capuronii is an aquatic plant found in southeastern Madagascar.

Aponogeton abyssinicus is an amphibious plant found in east and central Africa, from Ethiopia to Malawi and Zaire. Root stock tuberous or oblong, up to 2.5 cm diameter. Submersed leaves initially strap-shaped, up to 12 cm long and 6 mm wide, continuing lanceolate to obovate, up to 8.5 cm long, 2.6 cm wide and up to 10 cm long petiolate. Blade thin and slightly transparent, with a narrowing or decurrent base and acute or obtuse apex. Adults floating, up to 50 cm long petiolate. Floating leaf blade linear to ovoid, rarely cordate, up to 16 cm long and 5 cm wide, usually considerably smaller. Emersed leaves shaped like the floating leaves, slightly leathery and shorter petiolate. Peduncle up to 45 cm long, angled, dark red to green coloration, slightly pubescent underwater, almost glabrous above water, not swollen under the inflorescence. Spathe 1.0-1.6 cm long, caducous. Inflorescence featuring two 1.5-5-cm long spikes with omni-lateral flowers; 2 tepals, violet or white coloration; 6 stamens ; 3 carpels. Fruit up to 7 x 2.75 mm large, with (4-) 7-10 seeds, sized 1-2 x 0.75 mm, double testa.

<i>Aponogeton lakhonensis</i> Species of aquatic plant in the Aponogetonaceae family

Aponogeton lakhonensis is a species of an aquatic genus Aponogeton, itself the only genus in the Aponogetonaceae family. This species with a yellow-flowered single spike rising above the water, is found in ricefields, ponds and slow-moving streams of tropical and sub-tropical Asia. An outlier population occurs in Sulawesi, the main area of occurrence is from Thailand to Zhōngguó/China and Assam in India. It is more closely related to tropical Australian species of Aponogeton than it is to other Southeast Asian species. In Thailand the whole plant is eaten is salads, whereas Cambodians prefer the leaves alone served with fish sauce.

<i>Aponogeton natans</i> Species of aquatic plant

Aponogeton natans is a species of aquatic plant in the family Aponogetonaceae.

Aponogeton ranunculiflorus, the Sehlabathebe water lily, is a tiny and endangered species of aquatic plant, that belongs to the pondweed family Aponogetonaceae. It is protected in the Sehlabathebe National Park in the mountains of Lesotho, where it is very localized, and nearby in the uKhahlamba / Drakensberg Park of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Outside these areas it is seriously threatened. It is found in sandstone rock pools, up to 7 metres deep, and in permanently wet tarns or sensitive high altitude mires, at altitudes between about 2,600 and 3,200 metres. Its spiralled stems allow the flowers to remain at surface level. Threats to the species include overgrazing and trampling by cattle, overburning, erosion and subsistence farming. Their small (1 cm) corms can survive the drying out of the pools, or being frozen into the muddy bottoms.

References

  1. Manjato, N., Rakotonirina, N. & Phillipson, P. 2020. Aponogeton madagascariensis (amended version of 2017 assessment). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2020: e.T88495173A177456553. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-3.RLTS.T88495173A177456553.en. Accessed on 23 July 2023.
  2. 1 2 "Aponogeton madagascariensis (Mirb.) H.Bruggen". Plants of the World Online . Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew . Retrieved 23 July 2023.
  3. Bruggen, H. W. E. van (1968) "Revision of the genus Aponogeton (Aponogetonaceae) 1. The species of Madagascar" Blumea 16:249–250.
  4. van Bruggen, H. W. E. (1985). "Monograph of the genus Aponogeton (Aponogetonaceae)". Bibliotheca Botanica. Stuttgart: E. Schweizerbart'sche Verlagsbuchhandlung. 33 (137): i–viii, 1–76. ISBN   978-3-510-48008-1. ISSN   0067-7892 . Retrieved 2010-03-13.
  5. Tropica: Aponogeton madagascariensis
  6. Huxley, A., ed. (1992). New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. Macmillan ISBN   0-333-47494-5.
  7. Aquabase: Aponogeton madagascariensis (in French) Archived 2011-09-29 at the Wayback Machine
  8. Hiscock, P. (2003). Encyclopedia of Aquarium Plants. Interpret Publishing, United States and Canada ISBN   0-7641-5521-0.