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The acuatic plants of Panama are distributed from sea level to and grow in numerous, habitats that do not occupy large extensions. However, in their entity they from an important part of the flora and vegetation of the country, thus stdying, describing and knowing aquatic plants is of vital importance. The principle objective of the present study is the descrpition of the aquatic vascular flora and vegetation of the David district in the Chiriquí province, Panamá. Numerous contitnental aquatic fresh water ecosystems were visited, and aquatic plants were collected using adequate techniques. Included in the present study are identification keys to families, general and species of aquatic plants, and the life forms of plant communities that are present in the area are described. The aquatic flora in the David district comprises 35 plant families, 57 genera and 99 species.
Five of the species are subaquatic, 95, species are acautic, five are subaquatic and 18 species are tolerant. In the district the aquatic vegetation can be divided in five life forms: emergent and rooted hidrophytes are represented by 79 species, submerged en rooted hydrophytes by one speciaes, free submerged and free floating hydrophyutes each by four species, hidrophytes with a prostrarting thallus by three species, and hydrophytes with floating leaves by seven species. The different aquatic ecosystems in the David district are swamps that include 84 species of aquatic plants, seasonal pools with 32 species, lakes with 27 species, streams with 22 species, rivers with 19 species and canals with six species.
According to the red list of plants for Panamá one species found in the district David, Maranthrum miniflorum, is considered to be vulnerable, indicating that the study of the biodiversitry of aquatic plants in the occident of Panama is of great importance. The present study contribute to the knowledge of the aquatic vascular flora and vegetation of the Chiriquí province and Panama in general.
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