Pond weed
Aponogeton rehmannii

Family: Aponogetonaceae

What it is like

A herb. It grows in water. It has a corm or bulb. Plants are separately male and female. It grows 2 cm high. The leaves float on water. The fruit are 5 mm long by 2.5 mm wide. It has a long beak at the end. The flowers are in a divided spike 20-30 mm long. It has 2 bracts around it. The fruit contains 1-8 long seeds. The root tubers are 3 cm across.

Where it is found

It is a subtropical plant. It grows in hot dry places. It grows in places with a long dry season of 6-11 months. In Southern Africa is grows between 825-1,300 m above sea level. It can grow in arid places.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Botswana, East Africa, Eswatini, Kenya, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Southern Africa, Swaziland, Zambia, Zimbabwe

How it is used for food

The tubers are eaten raw as well as roasted.

Edible parts

Leaves, flowers, bulbs/tubers, root

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Oghnapa, Wateruintjie

Synonyms

Aponogeton hereroensis Schinz; Aponogeton junceus Lehm. ex Schltdl. subsp. rehmanii (Oliv.) Oberm.;