Potamogetonaceae
Zannichellia

Zannichellia palustris L.

First published in Sp. Pl.: 969 (1753)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Temp. & Subtropical. It is a hydrosubshrub and grows primarily in the temperate biome. It is used as a medicine.

Descriptions

Zannichelliaceae, H. J. Beentje, M.Sc., Ph.D., F.L.S. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 2000

Morphology General Habit
Submerged aquatic herb forming dense tangled mats, resembling fine grass; rhizome thin, branching freely; stems erect, to 50 cm long.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves 1–3 per node, ternate, opposite or alternate, greenish brown, subterete or linear, 1.2–5 cm long, 0.5–2 mm wide, at base with or without tubular, membranous sheath, at apex attenuate; axillary scales minute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers almost consistently 1 ♂ and a cluster of ♀ together at each pseudowhorl or distally sometimes ♂ alone, each surrounded by a membranous sheath; staminate flower of a single stamen, filament elongating at anthesis, to 2 cm long, anther 4–8-locular, at base with small axial protuberance, at apex with gland; pollen glandular; pistillate flowers (1–)4–5(–8) in pseudo-umbel, when immature enclosed in cupular sheath, peduncle 1–5 mm long, carpel ovoid, stipitate, stigma spoon-shaped but rapidly disintegrating.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit reniform, 2–6 mm long, with a keel and protuberances on convex and sometimes concave sides, stipitate, with persistent style.
Habitat
In rivers and pools, on rocky and stony substrate, in fresh to slightly alkaline water 2.5–45 cm deep, where it may be locally dominant over small areas; 1450–1800 m
Distribution
cosmopolitan T1 T2
[FTEA]

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/164133/96575438

Conservation
LC - least concern
[IUCN]

J. R. Timberlake, E. S. Martins (2009). Flora Zambesiaca, Vol 12 (part 2). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Type
Type Sweden, “Habitat in Europae, Virginiae fossis, fluviis” (LINN 1085.1 lectotype). FIGURE 12.2.26
Morphology General Habit
Submerged annual brittle herb, forming dense lawn-like mats
Morphology Leaves
Leaves 2–5 cm long, with pointed apices
Morphology General Scales
Axillary scales filiform, sometimes lanceolate
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens Anthers
Anther 4 or 8-sporangiate, filament elongating at anthesis
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Carpels
Carpels 1–6
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Style
Style accrescent in fruit to 1 mm long
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Drupelet slightly incurved, c.2 mm long (excluding beak), stalked, laterally compressed Endocarp with a irregularly toothed or warty ridge in the dorsal side, ventrally inconspicuous.
Distribution
Botswana. Widespread in temperate and tropical latitudes worldwide, including east tropical Africa (Tanzania), N and C Namibia and over much of South Africa.
Ecology
Can be locally dominant, forming large lawn-mats in still or slow-moving, shallow fresh or brackish water, sometimes associated with stoneworts; c.1000 m.
Phenology
Water-pollinated, flowering Oct–May. A useful food source and refuge for aquatic wildlife.
Conservation
Conservation notes A widespread species, although in the Flora area apparently localized to areas of inland brackish water; not threatened.
[FZ]

Bernal, R., Gradstein, S.R. & Celis, M. (eds.). 2015. Catálogo de plantas y líquenes de Colombia. Instituto de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá. http://catalogoplantasdecolombia.unal.edu.co

Distribution
Colombia
[CPLC]

Distribution
Native to Colombia.
Conservation
IUCN Red List Assessment (2021): LC.
[UPFC]

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation
Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

Uses

Use Medicines
Medical uses.
[UPFC]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • Catálogo de Plantas y Líquenes de Colombia

    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora Zambesiaca

    • Flora Zambesiaca
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

    • Flora of Tropical East Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • IUCN Categories

    • IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Science Photographs

    • Copyright applied to individual images

  • Useful Plants and Fungi of Colombia

    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0