Ireland: Kerry - Dublin - Cork - Waterford - Roscommon - Galway - Belfast
UK: London - Manchester - Newcastle - Cardiff - Liverpool
Cape Pondweed - Invasive Species Information
What Is Cape Pondweed - (Aponogeton distachyos)?
Habitat: Slow Moving Water, Lakes and Ponds
Distribution in Ireland: Limited wetland areas
Status: Established
Family name: Aponogetonaceae
Reproduction: Seeds prolifically. Spreads by seeds and tubers. Seeds are dispersed by water and waterfowl.
Cape Pondweed, also known as water hawthorn, is an aquatic plant growing from a tuberous rhizome.
Cape Pondweed - Aponogeton distachyos Leaves & Flowers
Cape pondweed has a basal globose tuber, 3-4 cm in diameter. Floating leaves are basal, dark green, up to 25 cm long, narrow-lanceolate in shape, and with many distinctive cross veins. Submerged leaves are linear in shape. Flowers are on a two- forked spike with fleshy white lobes and very fragrant.
The often mottled leaves float on the water surface from a petiole up to 1 m long from the rhizome;
How To Identify Cape Pondweed?
Leaf: Light Green Leaf the leaf blade is narrow oval, 6–25 cm long and 1.5–7.7 cm broad, with an entire margin and parallel veins.
Flower: White Flower with pale yellow stamen
Size: Can grow almost indefinitely in slow moving water pools
Cape Pondweed - Aponogeton distachyos ID Guide
Cape Pondweed - Aponogeton distachyos Flower, Roots and Leaves
Why Is Cape Pondweed A Problem?
Infestations can provide breeding grounds for mosquitos. Impacts could occur in waters such as slow flowing freshwater streams and rivers, and in lakes and ponds.
Can form mats on the water surface which can block waterways and contribute to flooding.