List of Alismatales of South Africa

The Alismatales (alismatids) are an order of flowering plants including about 4500 species. Plants assigned to this order are mostly tropical or aquatic. Some grow in fresh water, some in marine habitats.

The anthophytes are a grouping of plant taxa bearing flower-like reproductive structures. They were formerly thought to be a clade comprising plants bearing flower-like structures. The group contained the angiosperms - the extant flowering plants, such as roses and grasses - as well as the Gnetales and the extinct Bennettitales.[1]

23,420 species of vascular plant have been recorded in South Africa, making it the sixth most species-rich country in the world and the most species-rich country on the African continent. Of these, 153 species are considered to be threatened.[2] Nine biomes have been described in South Africa: Fynbos, Succulent Karoo, desert, Nama Karoo, grassland, savanna, Albany thickets, the Indian Ocean coastal belt, and forests.[3]

The 2018 South African National Biodiversity Institute's National Biodiversity Assessment plant checklist lists 35,130 taxa in the phyla Anthocerotophyta (hornworts (6)), Anthophyta (flowering plants (33534)), Bryophyta (mosses (685)), Cycadophyta (cycads (42)), Lycopodiophyta (Lycophytes(45)), Marchantiophyta (liverworts (376)), Pinophyta (conifers (33)), and Pteridophyta (cryptogams (408)).[4]

11 families are represented in the literature. Listed taxa include species, subspecies, varieties, and forms as recorded, some of which have subsequently been allocated to other taxa as synonyms, in which cases the accepted taxon is appended to the listing. Multiple entries under alternative names reflect taxonomic revision over time.

Alismataceae[edit]

Family Alismataceae,[4] (7 species)

Alisma[edit]

Genus Alisma:[4]

Burnatia[edit]

Genus Burnatia:[4]

Echinodorus[edit]

Genus Echinodorus:[4]

Limnophyton[edit]

Genus Limnophyton:[4]

Sagittaria[edit]

Genus Sagittaria:[4]

Aponogetonaceae[edit]

Family Aponogetonaceae,[4] (9 species)

Aponogeton[edit]

Genus Aponogeton:[4]

Araceae[edit]

Family Araceae,[4]

Arum[edit]

Genus Arum:[4]

Colocasia[edit]

Genus Colocasia:[4]

Epipremnum[edit]

Genus Epipremnum:[4]

Gonatopus[edit]

Genus Gonatopus:[4]

Monstera[edit]

Genus Monstera:[4]

Pistia[edit]

Genus Pistia:[4]

Stylochaeton[edit]

Genus Stylochaeton:[4]

Syngonium[edit]

Genus Syngonium:[4]

Zamioculcas[edit]

Genus Zamioculcas:[4]

Zantedeschia[edit]

Genus Zantedeschia:[4]

Cymodoceaceae[edit]

Family Cymodoceaceae,[4]

Halodule[edit]

Genus Halodule:[4]

Thalassodendron[edit]

Genus Thalassodendron:[4]

Hydrocharitaceae[edit]

Family Hydrocharitaceae,[4]

Egeria[edit]

Genus Egeria:[4]

Elodea[edit]

Genus Elodea:[4]

Halophila[edit]

Genus Halophila:[4]

Hydrilla[edit]

Genus Hydrilla:[4]

Lagarosiphon[edit]

Genus Lagarosiphon:[4]

Najas[edit]

Genus Najas:[4]

Ottelia[edit]

Genus Ottelia:[4]

Vallisneria[edit]

Genus Vallisneria:[4]

Juncaginaceae[edit]

Family Juncaginaceae,[4]

Triglochin[edit]

Genus Triglochin:[4]

Lemnaceae[edit]

Family Lemnaceae,[4]

Lemna[edit]

Genus Lemna:[4]

Spirodela[edit]

Genus Spirodela:[4]

Wolffia[edit]

Genus Wolffia:[4]

Wolffiella[edit]

Genus Wolffiella:[4]

Limnocharitaceae[edit]

Family Limnocharitaceae,[4]

Hydrocleys[edit]

Genus Hydrocleys:[4]

Tenagocharis[edit]

Genus Tenagocharis:[4]

Potamogetonaceae[edit]

Family Potamogetonaceae,[4]

Althenia[edit]

Genus Althenia:[4]

Potamogeton[edit]

Genus Potamogeton:[4]

Pseudoalthenia[edit]

Genus Pseudoalthenia:[4]

Zannichellia[edit]

Genus Zannichellia:[4]

Ruppiaceae[edit]

Family Ruppiaceae,[4]

Ruppia[edit]

Genus Ruppia:[4]

Zosteraceae[edit]

Family Zosteraceae,[4]

Nanozostera[edit]

Genus Nanozostera:[4]

Zostera[edit]

Genus Zostera:[4]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Doyle, J. A.; Donoghue, M. J. (1986). "Seed plant phylogeny and the origin of the angiosperms - an experimental cladistic approach". Botanical Review. 52 (4): 321–431. doi:10.1007/bf02861082.
  2. ^ Butler, Rhett A. (1 July 2019). "Total number of plant species by country". Mongabay. Retrieved 21 July 2019.
  3. ^ "Vegetation of South Africa". PlantZAfrica.com. SA National Biodiversity Institute. Retrieved 24 July 2019.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar as at au av aw ax ay az "species_checklist_20180710.csv". South African National Biodiversity Institute. Retrieved 27 September 2020.