Aloes and Lilies of Ethiopia and Eritrea

34 ALOES AND LILIES OF ETHIOPIA
The major freshwater lakes in Ethiopia include Lake
Tana, Lake Zengana, Lake Ashenge, Lakes Hayq and
Ardibo, Lakes Langano and Lake Zwai, Lake Awassa,
Lakes Abaya, Chamo and Turkana.There are also smaller
sized crater lakes such as Bishoftu Crater Lakes.The
reservoirs, such as the Koka Reservoir along the Awash
River and the Fincha Reservoir along the Fincha River
are the two oldest ones.
This vegetation subtype is marked in darker blue areas
(Fig. 5) and represented as shown in Fig. 19.
Subtype 11b. Freshwater marshes and swamps,
floodplains and lake shore vegetation (FLV/MFS)
A large number of areas with marshy/swamp vegetation
occur in the central and western parts of Ethiopia, while
there are fewer to the east. Important marsh areas are:
the Fogera and Dembia marshes/swamps (in the Gonder
floristic region), the Chomen and Dabus marshes/swamps
(in the Wellega floristic region), the Cheffa marshes (in
the Wello floristic region). There are a large number
of smaller sized marshes/swamps dotted throughout
the country, mainly in the Ilubabor, Kefa and Wellega
floristic regions.
There are also Floodplains and Freshwater intermittent
wetlands in flat or nearly flat lands adjacent to rivers or
streams that experiences occasional or periodic flooding.
For example: Large expanses near the village of Tefki
(at about 50 km west of Addis Abeba on the road to
Jima) and near Koka (between the small towns of Mojo
and Meki) are examples of flood plains created by the
overflow of the Awash River over its banks and the latter
also seen in many parts of Ethiopia mainly in the Gojam,
Kefa and Illubabor floristic regions.
The characteristic species in freshwater marsh/swamp,
floodplain and lake shore vegetation along the shores of
fresh water lakes include the sedges such as Cyperus
digitatus, C. denudatus, C. dichroostachys, Juncus
dregeanus, Floscopa glomerata, species of Eriocaulon
and Xyris, Persicaria decipiens, Ludwigia abyssinica,
Chenopodium album, Ranunculus multifidus, Nymphaea
lotus and Phoenix reclinata (Arecaceae). Liles are rather
uncommon in this vegetation type. This vegetation type
is marked in paler blue colour (Fig. 5).