Myriophyllum spicatum

[Regional assessment]

Taxonomy

Assessment Information

Geographic Range

Population

Habitat and Ecology

Threats

Conservation Actions

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Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
PLANTAE	TRACHEOPHYTA	MAGNOLIOPSIDA	HALORAGALES	HALORAGACEAE

Scientific Name:

Myriophyllum spicatum

Species Authority:

Common Name/s:

English

–

Eurasian water milfoil, Spiked Water-milfoil

Synonym/s:

Myriophyllum montanum Martrin-Donos

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:	Least Concern (Regional assessment) ver 3.1
Year Published:	2010
Assessor/s:	Ghogue, J.-P.
Reviewer/s:	Diop, F.N., Ali, M.M. & Smith, K.G.
Contributor/s:
Justification: Widespread species with no known major widespread threats. Listed as Least Concern.

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	Almost ubiquitous in the northern hemisphere; frequent in northern and southern Africa but rare in the tropics. In Western Africa there is a poor occurrence of the species. Recorded only from Cameroon In North Africa it is introduced in Egypt, but native in Lybia, Algeria, Tunisia and Morocco. Also recorded from North Eastern Africa in Sudan (Widespread - Lake Nubia - Darfur, Jebel Murra), Ethiopia, and Eritrea. In Southern Africa, it is found in Namibia, Botswana, and South Africa (Limpopo, North West, Gauteng, Mpumalanga, Free State, KwaZulu-Natal, Northern Cape, Western Cape, Eastern Cape).
Countries:	Native: Algeria; Botswana; Cameroon; Eritrea; Ethiopia; Libya; Malawi; Malaysia; Morocco; Namibia; South Africa; Sudan; Tanzania, United Republic of; Tunisia; Zambia; Zimbabwe
Range Map:	Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.

Population [top]

Population:	This species is a very common invasive aquatic macrophyte.
Population Trend:	Stable

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	This Perennial Hydrophyte occurs submerged in permanent still and flowing water and even found in brackish conditions. M. spicatum occurs in lakes, rivers, streams, canals, ditches. It prefers alkaline (hard water) water systems with high dissolved inorganic carbon, nitrate, nitrite, and pH and in hydrosoil with high phosphat and organic matter contents. North-eastern Africa: Lakes, rivers, streams, canal, ditches. M. spicatum occurs in alkaline (hard water) water systems with high dissolved inorganic carbon, nitrate, nitrite, and pH and in hydrosoil with high phosphatse and organic matter contents.
Systems:	Terrestrial; Freshwater

Habitat and Ecology:

This Perennial Hydrophyte occurs submerged in permanent still and flowing water and even found in brackish conditions. M. spicatum occurs in lakes, rivers, streams, canals, ditches. It prefers alkaline (hard water) water systems with high dissolved inorganic carbon, nitrate, nitrite, and pH and in hydrosoil with high phosphat and organic matter contents.

North-eastern Africa: Lakes, rivers, streams, canal, ditches. M. spicatum occurs in alkaline (hard water) water systems with high dissolved inorganic carbon, nitrate, nitrite, and pH and in hydrosoil with high phosphatse and organic matter contents.

Systems:

Terrestrial; Freshwater

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	There are no major threats to this species.

Major Threat(s):

There are no major threats to this species.

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:	Wetlands protection and conservation is generally recommended.

Conservation Actions:

Wetlands protection and conservation is generally recommended.

Citation:	Ghogue, J.-P. 2010. Myriophyllum spicatum. In: IUCN 2012. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2012.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 22 May 2013.
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