Burke: Potamogeton alpinus vs. Potamogeton amplifolius

	Potamogeton alpinus	Potamogeton amplifolius
	northern pondweed, reddish pondweed	broad-leaved pondweed, large-leaved pondweed
Habit	Annual, perennial herb, slender, rhizomed; stems greater than 100 cm, branched, branches not many, cylindric.	Aquatic, herbaceous perennials from slender rhizomes, the terete stems up to 4 mm. thick and 1 m. long, simple or sparingly branched above.
Leaves	Various shades of red; submersed sessile, 2-8 x 1-2 cm, lanceolate to elliptic-oblong, tapered to both ends, entire, tip blunt, veins 7-9; floating 0 or short-petioled, lanceolate, base tapered, veins 7-15; stipules beyond 3 cm, free, membranous, early-deciduous.	Leaves alternate, the submersed leaves short-petiolate, the upper ones 8-20 cm. long and 2-5 cm. broad, acute at both ends, folded, and sickle-shaped in outline, 25- to 45-nerved; floating leaves with long, stout petioles, the blades leathery, ovate to ovate-elliptic, acute or rounded at the base, 5-10 cm long and 2-4 cm. broad; stipules to 10 cm. long, free of the petiole.
Flowers	Inflorescence generally < 3 cm, floating to emergent; peduncle stiff.	Flowers perfect, in densely-flowered spikes on peduncles 7-15 cm. long; perianth of 4 clawed segments, each with an upturned, oval blade; stamens 4, fused with the claws; pistils 4, sessile.
Fruit(s)	Around 2.5 mm, keels 1 or 3, generally, beaked, sides concave to convex.	Achenes obliquely ovoid, 4-5 mm. long, with a sharp dorsal keel and 2 lateral keels.

	Potamogeton alpinus	Potamogeton amplifolius
Flowering time	June-August	June-August
Habitat	Calm water of lakes and slow streams.	Lakes and ponds, tolerant of deep waters.
Distribution	Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to California, east to the Rocky Mountains and northern Great Plains; also in eastern North America. [WildflowerSearch map] [BONAP county map]	Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to California, east to the Atlantic Coast. [WildflowerSearch map] [BONAP county map]
Origin	Native	Native
Conservation status	Not of concern	Not of concern
Sibling taxa	P. amplifolius, P. berchtoldii, P. crispus, P. epihydrus, P. fibrillosus, P. foliosus, P. friesii, P. gramineus, P. illinoensis, P. natans, P. nodosus, P. obtusifolius, P. praelongus, P. pusillus, P. richardsonii, P. robbinsii, P. strictifolius, P. zosteriformis	P. alpinus, P. berchtoldii, P. crispus, P. epihydrus, P. fibrillosus, P. foliosus, P. friesii, P. gramineus, P. illinoensis, P. natans, P. nodosus, P. obtusifolius, P. praelongus, P. pusillus, P. richardsonii, P. robbinsii, P. strictifolius, P. zosteriformis
Web links	Local floras: BC, CA, OR, WA Local Web sites: CalFlora, CalPhotos, Flora NW, PNW Herbaria WildflowerSearch iNaturalist (observations) USDA Plants Database LBJ Wildflower Center SEINet Plants of the World Online Encyclopedia of Life Wikipedia Google Image Search	Local floras: BC, CA, OR, WA Local Web sites: CalFlora, CalPhotos, Flora NW, PNW Herbaria WildflowerSearch iNaturalist (observations) USDA Plants Database LBJ Wildflower Center SEINet Plants of the World Online Encyclopedia of Life Wikipedia Google Image Search

Potamogeton amplifolius

northern pondweed, reddish pondweed

broad-leaved pondweed, large-leaved pondweed

Habit

Annual, perennial herb, slender, rhizomed; stems greater than 100 cm, branched, branches not many, cylindric.

Aquatic, herbaceous perennials from slender rhizomes, the terete stems up to 4 mm. thick and 1 m. long, simple or sparingly branched above.

Leaves

Various shades of red; submersed sessile, 2-8 x 1-2 cm, lanceolate to elliptic-oblong, tapered to both ends, entire, tip blunt, veins 7-9; floating 0 or short-petioled, lanceolate, base tapered, veins 7-15;

stipules beyond 3 cm, free, membranous, early-deciduous.

Leaves alternate, the submersed leaves short-petiolate, the upper ones 8-20 cm. long and 2-5 cm. broad, acute at both ends, folded, and sickle-shaped in outline, 25- to 45-nerved; floating leaves with long, stout petioles, the blades leathery, ovate to ovate-elliptic, acute or rounded at the base, 5-10 cm long and 2-4 cm. broad;

stipules to 10 cm. long, free of the petiole.

Flowers

Inflorescence generally < 3 cm, floating to emergent;

peduncle stiff.

Flowers perfect, in densely-flowered spikes on peduncles 7-15 cm. long;

perianth of 4 clawed segments, each with an upturned, oval blade;

stamens 4, fused with the claws;

pistils 4, sessile.

Fruit(s)

Around 2.5 mm, keels 1 or 3, generally, beaked, sides concave to convex.

Achenes obliquely ovoid, 4-5 mm. long, with a sharp dorsal keel and 2 lateral keels.

Potamogeton alpinus

Potamogeton amplifolius

Flowering time

June-August

Habitat

Calm water of lakes and slow streams.

Lakes and ponds, tolerant of deep waters.

Distribution

Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to California, east to the Rocky Mountains and northern Great Plains; also in eastern North America.

[WildflowerSearch map]

[BONAP county map]