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

Family Alismataceae,^[4] (7 species)

Alisma

Genus Alisma:^[4]

• Alisma plantago-aquatica L. not indigenous, invasive

Burnatia

Genus Burnatia:^[4]

• Burnatia enneandra P.Micheli, indigenous

Echinodorus

Genus Echinodorus:^[4]

• Echinodorus cordifolius (L.) Griseb. not indigenous, invasive
• Echinodorus tenellus (Mart. ex Schult.f.) Buchenau, not indigenous, invasive

Limnophyton

Genus Limnophyton:^[4]

• Limnophyton obtusifolium (L.) Miq. indigenous

Sagittaria

Genus Sagittaria:^[4]

• Sagittaria latifolia Willd. not indigenous, invasive
• Sagittaria platyphylla (Engelm.) J.G.Sm. not indigenous, cultivated. invasive

Aponogetonaceae

Family Aponogetonaceae,^[4] (9 species)

Aponogeton

Genus Aponogeton:^[4]

• Aponogeton angustifolius Aiton, endemic
• Aponogeton desertorum Zeyh. ex A.Spreng. indigenous
• Aponogeton distachyos L.f. endemic
• Aponogeton fugax J.C.Manning & Goldblatt, endemic
• Aponogeton junceus Lehm. indigenous
  • Aponogeton junceus Lehm. subsp. natalense (Oliv.) Oberm. accepted as Aponogeton natalensis Oliv.
  • Aponogeton junceus Lehm. subsp. rehmannii (Oliv.) Oberm. accepted as Aponogeton rehmannii Oliv.
• Aponogeton natalensis Oliv. endemic
• Aponogeton ranunculiflorus Jacot Guill. & Marais, indigenous
• Aponogeton rehmannii Oliv. indigenous
• Aponogeton stuhlmannii Engl. indigenous

Araceae

Family Araceae,^[4]

Arum

Genus Arum:^[4]

• Arum italicum Mill. not indigenous, cultivated, invasive

Colocasia

Genus Colocasia:^[4]

• Colocasia antiquorum Schott var. esculenta Schott accepted as Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott, not indigenous, invasive
• Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott, not indigenous, cultivated, invasive

Epipremnum

Genus Epipremnum:^[4]

• Epipremnum aureum (Linden & Andre) G.S.Bunting, not indigenous, cultivated, invasive

Gonatopus

Genus Gonatopus:^[4]

• Gonatopus angustus N.E.Br. indigenous
• Gonatopus boivinii (Decne.) Engl. indigenous

Monstera

Genus Monstera:^[4]

• Monstera deliciosa Liebm. not indigenous, cultivated, invasive

Pistia

Genus Pistia:^[4]

• Pistia stratiotes L. not indigenous, cultivated, invasive

Stylochaeton

Genus Stylochaeton:^[4]

• Stylochaeton natalensis Schott, indigenous

Syngonium

Genus Syngonium:^[4]

• Syngonium podophyllum Schott, not indigenous, cultivated, invasive

Zamioculcas

Genus Zamioculcas:^[4]

• Zamioculcas zamiifolia (Lodd.) Engl. indigenous

Zantedeschia

Genus Zantedeschia:^[4]

• Zantedeschia aethiopica (L.) Spreng. indigenous
• Zantedeschia albomaculata (Hook.) Baill. indigenous
  • Zantedeschia albomaculata (Hook.) Baill. subsp. albomaculata indigenous
  • Zantedeschia albomaculata (Hook.) Baill. subsp. macrocarpa (Engl.) Letty, indigenous
  • Zantedeschia albomaculata (Hook.) Baill. subsp. valida Letty, accepted as Zantedeschia valida (Letty) Y.Singh
• Zantedeschia elliottiana (W.Watson) Engl. endemic
• Zantedeschia jucunda Letty, endemic
• Zantedeschia odorata P.L.Perry, endemic
• Zantedeschia pentlandii (R.Whyte ex W.Watson) Wittm. endemic
• Zantedeschia rehmannii Engl. indigenous
• Zantedeschia valida (Letty) Y.Singh, endemic

Cymodoceaceae

Family Cymodoceaceae,^[4]

Halodule

Genus Halodule:^[4]

• Halodule uninervis (Forssk.) Asch. indigenous

Thalassodendron

Genus Thalassodendron:^[4]

• Thalassodendron ciliatum (Forssk.) Hartog, indigenous

Hydrocharitaceae

Family Hydrocharitaceae,^[4]

Egeria

Genus Egeria:^[4]

• Egeria densa Planch. not indigenous, invasive

Elodea

Genus Elodea:^[4]

• Elodea canadensis Michx. not indigenous, invasive

Halophila

Genus Halophila:^[4]

• Halophila ovalis (R.Br.) Hook.f.indigenous
• Halophila ovalis (R.Br.) Hook.f. subsp. ovalis indigenous

Hydrilla

Genus Hydrilla:^[4]

• Hydrilla verticillata (L.f.) Royle, not indigenous, invasive

Lagarosiphon

Genus Lagarosiphon:^[4]

• Lagarosiphon cordofanus Casp. indigenous
• Lagarosiphon major (Ridl.) Moss ex Wager, indigenous
• Lagarosiphon muscoides Harv. indigenous
• Lagarosiphon verticillifolius Oberm. indigenous

Najas

Genus Najas:^[4]

• Najas graminea Delile, indigenous
• Najas graminea Delile, var. graminea, indigenous
• Najas horrida A.Braun ex Rendle, indigenous
• Najas marina L. ex Magnus, indigenous
• Najas marina L. ex Magnus subsp. armata (H.Lindb.) Horn, indigenous
• Najas setacea (A.Br.) Rendle, indigenous

Ottelia

Genus Ottelia:^[4]

• Ottelia exserta (Ridl.) Dandy, indigenous
• Ottelia ulvifolia (Planch.) Walp. indigenous
• Ottelia vernayi Bremek. & Oberm. accepted as Ottelia ulvifolia (Planch.) Walp.

Vallisneria

Genus Vallisneria:^[4]

• Vallisneria aethiopica Fenzl, accepted as Vallisneria spiralis L.
• Vallisneria spiralis L., indigenous

Juncaginaceae

Family Juncaginaceae,^[4]

Triglochin

Genus Triglochin:^[4]

• Triglochin buchenaui Kocke, Mering, Kadereit, indigenous
• Triglochin bulbosa L. indigenous
  • Triglochin bulbosa L. subsp. bulbosa, endemic
  • Triglochin bulbosa L. subsp. calcicola Mering, Kocke & Kadereit, indigenous
  • Triglochin bulbosa L. subsp. quarcicola Mering, Kocke & Kadereit, endemic
  • Triglochin bulbosa L. subsp. tenuifolia (Adamson) Horn, endemic
• Triglochin elongata Buchenau accepted as Triglochin bulbosa L.
• Triglochin milnei Horn, indigenous
• Triglochin striata Ruiz & Pav. indigenous

Lemnaceae

Family Lemnaceae,^[4]

Lemna

Genus Lemna:^[4]

• Lemna aequinoctialis Welw. indigenous
• Lemna gibba L. indigenous
• Lemna minor L. indigenous

Spirodela

Genus Spirodela:^[4]

• Spirodela polyrhiza (L.) Schleid. indigenous
• Spirodela punctata (G.Mey.) C.H.Thomps. indigenous

Wolffia

Genus Wolffia:^[4]

• Wolffia arrhiza (L.) Horkel ex Wimm. indigenous
• Wolffia globosa (Roxb.) Hartog & Plas, indigenous

Wolffiella

Genus Wolffiella:^[4]

• Wolffiella denticulata (Hegelm.) Hegelm. endemic
• Wolffiella welwitschii (Hegelm.) Monod, indigenous

Limnocharitaceae

Family Limnocharitaceae,^[4]

Hydrocleys

Genus Hydrocleys:^[4]

• Hydrocleys nymphoides (Willd.) Buchenau, not indigenous, invasive

Tenagocharis

Genus Tenagocharis:^[4]

• Tenagocharis latifolia (D.Don) Buchenau, accepted as Butomopsis latifolia (D.Don) Kunth

Potamogetonaceae

Family Potamogetonaceae,^[4]

Althenia

Genus Althenia:^[4]

• Althenia filiformis F.Petit, indigenous

Potamogeton

Genus Potamogeton:^[4]

• Potamogeton crispus L. indigenous
• Potamogeton nodosus Poir. indigenous
• Potamogeton octandrus Poir. indigenous
• Potamogeton pectinatus L. indigenous
• Potamogeton pusillus L. indigenous
• Potamogeton richardii Solms, indigenous
• Potamogeton schweinfurthii A.Benn. indigenous
• Potamogeton subjavanicus Hagstr. accepted as Potamogeton pusillus L.
• Potamogeton thunbergii Cham. & Schltdl. accepted as Potamogeton nodosus Poir. indigenous
• Potamogeton trichoides Cham. & Schltdl. indigenous
• Potamogeton venosus A.Benn. accepted as Potamogeton schweinfurthii A.Benn.

Pseudoalthenia

Genus Pseudoalthenia:^[4]

• Pseudoalthenia aschersoniana (Graebn.) Hartog, endemic

Zannichellia

Genus Zannichellia:^[4]

• Zannichellia palustris L. indigenous

Ruppiaceae

Family Ruppiaceae,^[4]

Ruppia

Genus Ruppia:^[4]

• Ruppia cirrhosa (Petagna) Grande, indigenous
• Ruppia maritima L. indigenous

Zosteraceae

Family Zosteraceae,^[4]

Nanozostera

Genus Nanozostera:^[4]

• Nanozostera capensis (Setch.) Toml. & Posl. accepted as Zostera capensis Setch.

Zostera

Genus Zostera:^[4]

• Zostera capensis Setch. indigenous