Endemic (disputed) · Threatened (Red Data Book)
Il-ħarira tal-ilma ta’ Malta
A tiny water plant of rain-filled rock pools, kept as a Maltese endemic although some botanists treat it as a widespread species.
The Maltese horned pondweed grows in temporary freshwater rock pools: shallow basins in the limestone that fill with rain. It flowers from December to March and its flowers are inconspicuous.
Many botanists now treat this presumed Maltese endemic as part of the widespread horned pondweed (Zannichellia palustris). The Online Flora of the Maltese Islands keeps it as an endemic because of its distinct habitat and small but consistent differences.
It is listed in the Red Data Book of the Maltese Islands as threatened. At the last update of the local flora it was not legally protected.
How to help
Take care around temporary rock pools: they hold rare plants and animals. Do not drain, fill or dump rubbish in them.
Text: Wikipedia; Online Flora of the Maltese Islands, licence CC BY-SA 4.0. Edited by the Editorial Team.
