Species profile—Aponogeton prolifer
Classification
Plantae (plants) → Equisetopsida (land plants) → Aponogetonaceae → Aponogeton prolifer
Species details
- Kingdom
- Plantae (plants)
- Class
- Equisetopsida (land plants)
- Family
- Aponogetonaceae
- Scientific name
- Aponogeton prolifer Hellq. & S.W.L.Jacobs
- WildNet taxon ID
- 21900
- Synonym(s)
- Aponogeton sp. (Innisfail-live bearing)
Aponogeton proliferus - Alternate name(s)
- live-bearing lace plant
- Nature Conservation Act 1992 (NCA) status
- Endangered
- Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC) status
- Endangered
- Conservation significant
- Yes
- Confidential
- Yes
- Wetland status
- Wetland Indicator Species
- Endemicity
- Native
- Pest status
- Nil
- Short Notes
- dup-Wilson 8747-Isotype; published as 'proliferus'
- Description
- Aponogeton prolifer is a rooted, submerged aquatic plant. It has small tuber roots, less than 1cm long. The leaves are submersed and have linear blades, 18.5-31cm long and 1.3-1.6cm wide. The leaves are dark green in colour and have flat to slightly undulating margins. The leaf stalks are up to 13cm long.
The flower heads are rarely formed, but may be up to 5.5cm long, are single and emerge from the water on stalks that grow up to 32cm long. The leaf-like bract protecting the flower can be to 1.5cm long. The flowers are yellow, widely spaced and inserted evenly around the flower spike. The fruit of this species is unknown.
New plants are commonly produced at the tip of stalks similar to the flower stalks and these proliferous shoots distinguish the species. (Hellquist 1998; DEWHA 2008) - Habitat
- Aponogeton prolifer occurs in narrow, shallow and heavily shaded coastal streams and creeks in rainforest. (Hellquist 1998)
- Reproduction
- Aponogeton prolifer is the only Australian live-bearing Aponogeton species. New plants are produced at the tip of stalks similar to the flower stalks. (Hellquist 1998)
- Notes
- Contributors: Kathy Stephens, Mellisa Mayhew 27/01/2009
- References
- Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts (2008). Aponogeton proliferus in Species Profile and Threats Database, Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts, Canberra. Accessed 23/09/2008. http://www.environment.gov.au/sprat
Hellquist, C.B. & Jacobs, S.W.L. (1998). Aponogetonaceae of Australia, with descriptions of six new taxa. Telopea 8(1): 11.
Herbrecs (2008). Aponogeton proliferus, in BriMapper version 2.12. Queensland Herbarium. Accessed 23/09/2008. - Profile author
- Kathy Stephens (12/10/2011)
Other resources
- Species Profile and Threats Database (SPRAT)
- The Australasian Virtual Herbarium (AVH)
- Atlas of Living Australia
Data source
This profile data is sourced from the QLD Wildlife Data API using the Get species by ID function used under CC-By 4.0.
https://apps.des.qld.gov.au/species/?op=getspeciesbyid&taxonid=21900.
This information is sourced from the WildNet database managed by the Queensland Department of Environment and Science.
