Have searched on the net but without a name it is really hard to find a photo to try id.

was found growing in a swampy stream area . all leaves floating looking much like some type of lilly, but not the shape im used to seeing.

It was everywhere, it actually looked really neat. almost like some exotic tropical swamp where you would expect to see fish swimming below.

the water was only two or three feet deep at the most. with partial shade.

when uprooted it has a small bulb like a typical lily and stems break easily

IDEAS ANYONE,

Im guessing Alan will know,

Interesting, but don't have a clue what it is.

may well be Aponogeton distachyus, has white flowers.

http://www.fnzas.org.nz/plant_survey/aq ... 8f2829e23e

My book says that A.distachyus has a white, pleasantly smelling flower that consists of two opposed spikes (flower stem splits into two flower heads --hence the name)

It is suitable for temperate climate but better in a pond than tank because of the floating leaves.

It is important to allow the tubecules to dry during the winter for a rest period.

Plant in sand like water lillies.

Grow it and see what the flower is like and report back.

I will go back today after work,thinking back there may have been some flowers on some,

this time ill take my camera with me.(and some old shoes, and not wear my jeans so i can get really close, its real muddy)

my gut feeling was some type of apon, but didnt think it grew in cold water

youll see more pics tonight hopefully,

cheers people

Ha, I found this while reading articles, made me laugh. I may have to try it some day

The Art of Aquatic Cooking . . .

Water Hawthorn Stew

Contributed by Jacques Gerber, Pretoria, South Africa

The following is a recipe for cooking Apongeton distachys, known here in South Africa as waterblommetjies (little water flowers). You'll probably know it as Water Hawthorn. Recipe calls for a can of waterblommetjies, but you can use fresh easily, if you can find them. A 400g can of waterblommetjies is equivalent to about 300g of flowers. They have to be picked when at least half the inflorescence is green.

1 X 400g can waterblommetjies (drained)

500g lamb short ribs

15ml oil

1 onion, chopped

a few drops of lemon, vinegar or dry white wine

5ml brown sugar

2ml seasoning salt

salt and pepper to taste

250ml boiling water

2 potatoes, peeled and cubed

Brown meat in oil. Remove and reserve. Fry onion until transparent. Add meat, flavourings and water. Simmer gently until meat is tender. Add waterblommetjies and potatoes (you can add fresh waterblommetjies at this stage as well) and simmer until vegetables are cooked. Mash some of the potatoes to thicken the stew.

To serve: Sprinkle with lemon juice and olive oil. Serves 2.

Here is a pic of the flower, this confirms it then,

Did you get any more of it?

I only took three or four plants, but as you can see in the pics, there is plenty more where they came from.

i didnt want to take to many as i didnt know what it was at first and when i went back last night i was more interested in getting some photos

It has the split flower stem as the name suggests but the flowers are different to those in my book which look more like the flower of A. crispus etc. Assume it is the same plant though. Wouldn't be much good in a tank--all you would see is stalks. It would be Ok in a pond if it didn't take over. Might slow up the kingfishers.

Hi All

Looks to me like a "POTOMOGETON" specie that we used to get from the Whaiwhetu Stream in Lower Hutt.

They may be still there for all I know.

Potomogeton crispus is the one we get round here and it has a floating leaf like this but the flower is different. No evidence of the crispate submersed leaves either.

It definately is Aponogeton distachyus.

Ive done heaps of reading on the net and in books.

by the way alan, i got a copy of that book, Encyclopaedia of water plants, off ebay. quite cheap too!

It is a good book but like Mrs Google it doesn't pay to believe everything.

dont know

Yep it is Aponogeton distachyus, and is a noxious weed according to MAF, it was upgraded to noxious since yr 2000, before then it was just a notifiable weed (under observation).