Aponogeton appendiculatus

Perennial water-plants, 40-150 cm high. Tubers up to 2 cm across, oblong or globose. Leaves all submerged, 30-80 x 2.5 – 4.5 cm, oblong-lanceolate, base narrowly cuneate, margins undulate, apex acute or acuminate, mature leaves purplish; petiole 10-25 cm long. Spikes 3-12 cm long (fruiting spike upto 35 cm long), cylindrical, densely flowered; spathe 2-5 cm long, conical, acuminate, calyptrate, 6-7-sided, angles winged, caducous; peduncle 40-135 cm long, narrowed at base and gradually thickening towards apex, dark brown. Flowers 4-5 mm across, in groups about 4. Tepals 2, white with pink tinge, 2-2.5 x 2-2.5 mm, obovate or suborbicular, base cuneate, apex obtuse, fleshy, persistent. Stamens 5-6; filaments 1-1.5 mm long, widened towards the base, white, persistent; anthers c. 0.5 mm long, ovoid, yellow. Ovaries 2-3, 1-1.5 x 1-1.5 mm, conical; ovules 1 or 2. Fruit 0.8-1.5 x 0.5-1 cm, conical, with scattered blunt spines, base violet, apex beaked. Embryo very unusual, 0.7-1.2 x 0.3-0.6 cm, obovate, tuberous, crowned with a whorl of linear tortuous appendages of 3-5 mm long.

Aponogeton appendiculatus (aponogetonaceae).

Kumarakom, Kerala, 2015 May

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GIB_250812_01_id request: Forwarding the photos of Arola plant from Vembandu lake collected by CERC project assistant Mr.K.M.Puvu.This plant can be seen almost all parts of Vembanadu lake. Only the underground part will survive when salinity increases.

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I am forwarding a mail with attachments of pictures of a water plant from Vembanad Lake near Alappuzha.

I was wondering whether this is a species of Echinodorus of Alismataceae family?

I request all my friends in the group to help in iding this plant.

I suggested my student … to work on some ecological aspects of this plant for her MSc project.

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  I dont know much about Echinodorus. For me,it looks like Cryptocorine of Araceae. The gelly like thing could be spawn of some organism which could be interesting.

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Could be Cryptocryne and those jelly like things could be algal communities or asexual reproductive phase.

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Jelly like substance looks like Snail eggs.

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This is Aponogeton appendiculatusi have collected this species in Vembnaad lake in 2015 only species of Aponogeton which occurs in brackish water lake

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References: The Plant List Ver.1.1  WCSP  IPNI  e-monocot  India Biodiversity Portal  IUCN Red List (DD)  Kerala Plants