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  4. Alisma lanceolatum

Alisma lanceolatum

Upper Hutt.<br>Photographer: Jeremy R. Rolfe, Date taken: 31/12/2006, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0'>CC BY</a>. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>
Upper Hutt.<br>Photographer: Jeremy R. Rolfe, Date taken: 31/12/2006, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0'>CC BY</a>. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>
Upper Hutt.<br>Photographer: Jeremy R. Rolfe, Date taken: 31/12/2006, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0'>CC BY</a>. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>
Alisma lanceolatum.<br>Photographer: Paul Champion, Date taken: 14/12/2011, Licence: All rights reserved. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>
Alisma lanceolatum.<br>Photographer: Trevor James, Date taken: 14/11/2009, Licence: All rights reserved. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>
Alisma lanceolatum.<br>Photographer: Trevor James, Date taken: 26/07/2005, Licence: All rights reserved. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>
Alisma lanceolatum.<br>Photographer: Trevor James, Date taken: 08/11/2009, Licence: All rights reserved. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>
Turakina.<br>Photographer: Colin C. Ogle, Date taken: 01/03/2013, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0'>CC BY-NC</a>. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>
Turakina.<br>Photographer: Colin C. Ogle, Date taken: 01/03/2013, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0'>CC BY-NC</a>. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>
Upper Hutt.<br>Photographer: Jeremy R. Rolfe, Date taken: 17/06/2006, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0'>CC BY</a>. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>
Upper Hutt.<br>Photographer: Jeremy R. Rolfe, Date taken: 17/06/2006, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0'>CC BY</a>. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>
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Common name

water plantain

Family

Alismataceae

Authority

Alisma lanceolatum With.

Flora category

Vascular – Exotic

Structural class

Herbs - Monocots

NVS code

The National Vegetation Survey (NVS) Databank is a physical archive and electronic databank containing records of over 94,000 vegetation survey plots - including data from over 19,000 permanent plots. NVS maintains a standard set of species code abbreviations that correspond to standard scientific plant names from the Ngä Tipu o Aotearoa - New Zealand Plants database.

ALILAN

Brief description

A marginal aquatic plant, with lance-shaped leaves, with many tiny pink flowers held on a pyramid-shaped inflorescence, much taller than the rest of the plant.

Distribution

Scattered in Hawkes Bay, Wellington and Canterbury.

Habitat

Margins of still and slow flowing water bodies and wetlands.

Features

Leafy emergent perennial herb up to c. 1 m high, although non-flowering plants are much shorter. Aerial parts die off over winter to the rootstock. Leaves all basal, broad ovate 7-23 (28) × 2-5 cm, with a tapered base with a long petiole up to or exceeding the leaf blade. Petiole is semi-circular in cross-section (D-shaped). Submerged or floating leaved plants sometimes occur, these have narrower than emergent leaves. Inflorescence a large, much-branched panicle; branches whorled. Flowers usually pale lilac, c. 1 cm across. C. 20 rounded and flattened seeds (achenes) c. 2.5 mm long, in a dense circular head.

Similar taxa

Alisma plantago-aquatica has broader lance-shaped leaves and lilac rather than pink coloured flowers. Sagittaria platyphylla has larger flowers on a smaller inflorescence and triangular petioles.

Flowering

Summer

Flower colours

Red/Pink

Fruiting

Summer to autumn

Life cycle

Spreads by waterfowl and water dispersed seed.

Year naturalised

1895

Origin

Native to Europe, North Africa and West Asia.

Reason for introduction

Possibly ornamental pond plant, or a seed or soil contaminant.

Control techniques

Rarely problematic and normally controlled in New Zealand.

Attribution

Prepared by Paul Champion and Deborah Hofstra (NIWA).

References and further reading

Clapham, A.R.; Tutin, T.G.; Warburg, E.F. (1962). Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press, Second Edition. 1269pp.

Croasdale, H., Flint E. A. and Racine, M. M. (1994). Flora of New Zealand Volume 3: Freshwater algae, chlorophyta, desmids with ecological comments on their habitats, Staurodesmus Staurastrum and the Filamentous desmids. Manaaki Whenua Press: Lincoln, New Zealand.

Johnson PN, Brooke PA (1989). Wetland plants in New Zealand. DSIR Field Guide, DSIR Publishing, Wellington. 319pp.

Preston, C.D.; Croft, J.M. (1997). Aquatic plants in Britain and Ireland. Harley Books, 365pp.

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