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Scientific Name | Aponogeton rehmannii Oliv. |
Higher Classification | Monocotyledons |
Family | APONOGETONACEAE |
Synonyms | Aponogeton hereroensis Schinz, Aponogeton junceus Lehm. subsp. rehmannii (Oliv.) Oberm., Aponogeton rehmannii Oliv. var. hereroensis (Schinz) Engl. & Krause |
Common Names | Pondweed (e), Waterruintjie (a) |
National Status |
Status and Criteria | Least Concern |
Assessment Date | 2017/06/16 |
Assessor(s) | H. Mtshali, F. Cholo & W. Foden |
Justification | Aponogeton rehmannii is a widespread, but rarely recorded and very poorly known species. It is likely overlooked, but also very likely becoming rarer due to widespread loss and degradation of suitable habitat. Field surveys of localities known through historical records is needed to gain a better understanding of the status and trends of the population. |
Distribution |
Endemism | Not endemic to South Africa |
Provincial distribution | Free State, Gauteng, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Northern Cape, North West |
Range | This species is widespread across southern Africa, including northern South Africa, from the Kalahari eastwards to the Mpumalanga Lowveld. It also occurs in Kenya. |
Habitat and Ecology |
Major system | Freshwater |
Major habitats | Grassland, Savanna |
Description | It occurs in temporary, shallow pools, flooded pans, muddy or sandy banks, and other seasonally inundated places. |
Threats |
| In the Free State and North West, localities known through historical records have been impacted by agricultural expansion, which leads to drainage, disruption and damming of wetlands, streams and pans. Agriculture is also causing significant pollution of freshwater ecosystems, and Aponogeton species are sensitive to herbicide and pesticide runoff.
In Gauteng and south-western Mpumalanga it is threatened by ongoing habitat loss to urban expansion, as well as pollution and degradation of freshwater ecosystems due to inefficient management of water treatment plants.
It is also potentially threatened by competition from alien invasive plants, which often spread along drainage lines. |
Population |
This species is widespread across northern South Africa, but is very rarely recorded. It was last observed in 1997. It is possibly under-collected, as large parts of its range in the Northern Cape and North West Province is botanically poorly explored. It is suspected to be already locally extinct at a number of localities known through historical records, where no intact habitat remains. A continuing decline is inferred from ongoing habitat loss and degradation.
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Population trend | Decreasing |
Assessment History |
Taxon assessed |
Status and Criteria |
Citation/Red List version | | Aponogeton rehmannii Oliv. | Least Concern | Raimondo et al. (2009) | |
Bibliography |
Cook, C.D.K. 2004. Aquatic and wetland plants of southern Africa. Backhuys Publishers, Leiden, The Netherlands.
Martins, E.S. 2009. Aponogetonaceae. In: J.R. Timberlake and E.S. Martins (eds). Flora Zambesiaca 12 (Part 2):65-73. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
Obermeyer, A.A. 1966. Aponogetonaceae. In: L.E. Codd, B. De Winter and H.B. Rycroft (eds). Flora of Southern Africa 1:85-92. 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.
Van Bruggen, H.W.E. 1973. Revision of the genus Aponogeton (Aponogetonaceae): VI. - The species of Africa. Bulletin du Jardin Botanique National de Belgique 43:193-233.
Van Bruggen, H.W.E. 1985. Monograph of the genus Aponogeton (Aponogetonaceae). Bibliotheca Botanica 137:1-76.
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Citation |
| Mtshali, H., Cholo, F. & Foden, W. 2017. Aponogeton rehmannii Oliv. National Assessment: Red List of South African Plants version . Accessed on 2025/04/19 |
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