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northern pondweed, reddish pondweed

Illinois pondweed

Stems

terete; to 200 cm; nodal glands absent.

terete, 28–120 cm; nodal glands absent.

Leaves

submersed and floating or submersed only.

both submersed and floating or submersed only.

Floating leaves

elliptic or oblanceolate to obovate or oblonglinear, 40–70(100) × 10–25(40)mm; reddish green;

base gradually tapering to petiole;

tip obtuse or acute;

veins (7)9–13(15);

petioles 0–12 mm.

elliptic to oblong-elliptic, 40–190 × 20–65 mm, light green;

base cuneate;

tip round-mucronate;

veins 13–29;

petioles 20–90 mm.

Submersed leaves

sessile, attached to stem nodes, not attached to stipules;

stipules (12)15–25(40)mm;

tip blunt;

blades oblong-linear to linear-lanceolate, 45–180(250) × 5–20 mm;

base rounded to cuneate;

margins entire;

tip obtuse or acute; lacunae in 0–6 rows on each side of midvein;

veins 7–9.

petiolate or sessile, attached to stem nodes, not attached to stipules;

stipules 10–80 mm;

tip acuminate;

blades elliptic to lanceolate (linear), often falcate, 50–200 × 2–45 mm;

base acute;

margins entire, often wavy;

tip acute-mucronate; lacunae in 2–5 rows on each side of midrib;

veins 7–19;

petioles 0–40 mm.

Inflorescences

emersed;

spikes cylindric, 10–35 mm;

peduncles terminal or axillary; erect, 30– 100(160)mm.

emersed;

spikes cylindric, 25–70 mm;

peduncles terminal or axillary; erect to ascending, cylindric, 4–30 cm.

Fruits

pedicellate, obovoid; turgid; (2.5)3–3.5 × (1.7)2–2.4 mm, dorsally keeled, laterally keeled or not;

beaks dorsally curved, 0.5–0.9 mm.

sessile, obovoid to ovoid, laterally compressed, dorsally keeled, 2.5–3.6 × 2.1–3 mm; grayish green to olive green, laterally ridged; dorsal keel well developed;

beaks erect to slightly recurved, 0.5–0.8 mm.

Potamogeton alpinus

Potamogeton illinoensis

Distribution
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Ponds, lakes, and slow-moving streams. 1200–2200m. BR, BW, Casc. CA, ID, NV, WA; north to British Columbia, east to Greenland; Eurasia. Native.

Potamogeton alpinus is often red when fresh. This species hybridizes with P. nodosus, P. gramineus, and P. praelongus.

Streams, lakes, ponds, and sloughs, often in alkaline waters. 50–2300m. BR, BW, Col, CR, ECas, WV. CA, WA; north to Northwest Territories, east to CT, south to South America. Native.

This species hybridizes with P. amplifolius, P. gramineus, and P. nodosus.

Source Flora of Oregon, volume 1, page 496
Nick Otting, Richard Brainerd, Barbara Wilson
Flora of Oregon, volume 1, page 499
Nick Otting, Richard Brainerd, Barbara Wilson
Sibling taxa
P. amplifolius, P. berchtoldii, P. crispus, P. diversifolius, P. epihydrus, P. fibrillosus, P. foliosus, P. gramineus, P. illinoensis, P. natans, P. nodosus, P. praelongus, P. pusillus, P. richardsonii, P. robbinsii, P. zosteriformis
P. alpinus, P. amplifolius, P. berchtoldii, P. crispus, P. diversifolius, P. epihydrus, P. fibrillosus, P. foliosus, P. gramineus, P. natans, P. nodosus, P. praelongus, P. pusillus, P. richardsonii, P. robbinsii, P. zosteriformis
Synonyms Potamogeton alpinus ssp. tenuifolius, Potamogeton alpinus var. subellipticus, Potamogeton alpinus var. tenuifolius Potamogeton lucens
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