Pontederiaceae
Pontederia

Pontederia natans P.Beauv.

First published in Fl. Oware 2: 18 (1810)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Africa. It is a hydroperennial and grows primarily in the wet tropical biome.

Descriptions

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation
Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

Pontederiaceae, F. N. Hepper. Flora of West Tropical Africa 3:1. 1968

Morphology General Habit
Aquatic herb with floating upper leaves
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers purplish with yellow spot
Ecology
In pools and streams.
[FWTA]

Pontederiaceae, B. Verdcourt. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1968

Morphology General Habit
Floating aquatic herb with branched stems, sometimes rooting in the bottom soil.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves alternate, of two kinds:submerged leaves sessile, linear, acute, (2–)3–6.5(–10, fide F.T.A.) cm. long, (l–)2–3 mm. broad; floating leaves petiolate, ovate or orbicular, obtuse or rarely acute at the apex, cordate with small rounded overlapping lobes, minutely pustulate above, 1.3–3 cm. long, 1–2 cm. wide; true petioles 4–10 cm. long; stipules from 2 mm. in the submerged leaves to 3.2(–5) cm. long in the floating leaves, membranous, obtuse, sheathing the stem.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescences 1-flowered, shortly pedunculate, arising from a tubular membranous obtuse spathe ± l.3(–2) cm. long, apparently arising from below the middle of the petioles of the floating leaves but actually terminating short lateral 1-leaved branches of the main stem.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Perianth
Perianth somewhat irregular, blue or mauve (see note); lobes small, obovate, up to 4.5 mm. long, 2 mm. wide; tube 1.0–1.2 cm. long, elongating after anthesis to 2.2 cm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens 6, unequal, glabrous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Style
Style long and filiform.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Capsule narrowly fusiform, 1.0–1.2 cm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds numerous, oblong with many very fine longitudinal ribs, to 1 mm. long.
Figures
Fig. 2, p. 5.
Habitat
Stagnant pools in swamps, etc.; 1080–1300 m. (in Uganda)
Distribution
U1 U3 W. Africa to the Congo and Sudan Republics, Zambia, Rhodesia, Angola, South West Africa, Madagascar
[FTEA]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

    • Flora of Tropical East Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of West Tropical Africa

    • Flora of West Tropical Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • 'The Herbarium Catalogue, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet http://www.kew.org/herbcat [accessed on Day Month Year]'. Please enter the date on which you consulted the system.
    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2025. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2025. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Plants and People Africa

    • Common Names from Plants and People Africa http://www.plantsandpeopleafrica.com/
    • © Plants and People Africa http://www.plantsandpeopleafrica.com http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/