Taxonomy
Scientific Name
Halophila ovalis (R.Br.) Hook.f. subsp. ovalis
Higher Classification
Monocotyledons
Family
HYDROCHARITACEAE
National Status
Status and Criteria
Least Concern
Assessment Date
2017/06/22
Assessor(s)
H. Mtshali
Justification
This taxon is widespread, common and not suspected to be in danger of extinction.
Distribution
Endemism
Not endemic to South Africa
Provincial distribution
Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Western Cape
Range
This taxon is widely distributed along the coast of South Africa from Mossel Bay to Durban. It occurs further north along the east coast of Africa to Asia.
Habitat and Ecology
Major system
Freshwater
Description
It occurs submerged in sea water in estuaries and lagoons with fine mud and sandy bottoms to hard coral debris.
Population

This species is known from only a few old collections, but is suspected to be overlooked. Specimen notes indicate that it is locally abundant. The population is not suspected to be declining.


Population trend
Stable
Assessment History
Taxon assessed
Status and Criteria
Citation/Red List version
Halophila ovalis (R.Br.) Hook.f. subsp. ovalis Least Concern Raimondo et al. (2009)
Bibliography

Cook, C.D.K. 2004. Aquatic and wetland plants of southern Africa. Backhuys Publishers, Leiden, The Netherlands.


Obermeyer, A.A. 1966. Hydrocharitaceae. In: L.E. Codd, B. De Winter and H.B. Rycroft (eds). Flora of Southern Africa 1:100-112. Botanical Research Institute, Pretoria.


Raimondo, D., von Staden, L., Foden, W., Victor, J.E., Helme, N.A., Turner, R.C., Kamundi, D.A. and Manyama, P.A. 2009. Red List of South African Plants. Strelitzia 25. South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria.


Sieben, E.J.J. 2009. The status and distribution of vascular plants (Magnoliophyta, Lycophyta, Pteridophyta). In: W.R.T. Darwall, K.G. Smith, D. Tweddle and P. Skelton (eds.), The status and distribution of freshwater biodiversity in southern Africa (pp. 83-98), IUCN and SAIAB, Gland, Switzerland and Grahamstown, South Africa.


Symoens, J.J. 2009. Hydrocharitaceae. In: J.R. Timberlake and E.S. Martins (eds). Flora Zambesiaca 12 (Part 2):18-57. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.


Citation
Mtshali, H. 2017. Halophila ovalis (R.Br.) Hook.f. subsp. ovalis. National Assessment: Red List of South African Plants version . Accessed on 2025/05/13

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Distribution map


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