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northern pondweed, reddish pondweed

white-stalked pondweed, whitestem pondweed

Habit Annual, perennial herb, slender, rhizomed; stems greater than 100 cm, branched, branches not many, cylindric. Aquatic, herbaceous perennials from slender rhizomes, the stems up to 3 m. long, sparingly branched, slightly flattened, 2-3 mm. thick, whitish, the shorter internodes zigzag.
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 all submersed, the blades sessile, with a clasping base, oblong-lanceolate, 1-2.5 dm. long and 2-3 cm. broad, entire, the tip rounded and somewhat hooded;

stipules free of the blade, 4-10 cm. long, whitish.

Flowers

Inflorescence generally < 3 cm, floating to emergent;

peduncle stiff.

Flowers perfect, in dense spikes 2.5-5 cm. long;

peduncles club-shaped, 1-3 dm. 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 obovoid, 4-5 mm. long, with a short beak and prominent dorsal keel.

Potamogeton alpinus

Potamogeton praelongus

Flowering time June-August May-July
Habitat Calm water of lakes and slow streams. Deep water of lakes.
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; Alaska to California, east to the Rocky Mountains, Great Plains, Great Lakes region, and eastern North America.
[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. amplifolius, P. berchtoldii, P. crispus, P. epihydrus, P. fibrillosus, P. foliosus, P. friesii, P. gramineus, P. illinoensis, P. natans, P. nodosus, P. obtusifolius, P. pusillus, P. richardsonii, P. robbinsii, P. strictifolius, P. zosteriformis
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