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alpine pondweed, northern pondweed, potamot alpin, reddish pondweed

Ogden's pondweed, potamot d'Ogden

Cauline stems

terete, without spots, to 200 cm;

nodal glands absent.

compressed-filiform, without spots, to 50 cm;

glands green, golden brown to dark brown, 0.2–0.6 mm diam.

Turions

absent.

terminal or lateral, uncommon, 3.7–9.9 × 2.6–6 cm, soft to hard;

leaves flattened with outer and inner leaves in same plane;

outer leaves 1–2 per side, base not corrugate, apex apiculate;

inner leaves undifferentiated or rolled into hardened, fusiform structure.

Leaves

submersed and floating or floating absent, ± spirally arranged.

submersed, ± spirally arranged, sessile, rigid;

stipules persistent, inconspicuous, convolute, free from blade, brown or rarely white, not ligulate, 0.9–2.1 cm, slightly fibrous, partially shredding at tip, apex obtuse;

blade somewhat reddish to olive-green, linear, not arcuate, 1.5–10 cm × 1.2–2.9 mm, base slightly tapering, without basal lobes, not clasping, margins entire, not crispate, apex not hoodlike, cuspidate to bristle-tipped, lacunae present or absent, in 0–3 rows each side of midvein;

veins 3–9(–13).

Floating leaves

petioles continuous in color to apex, 0.1–1.2 cm;

blade reddish green, elliptic or oblanceolate to obovate or oblong-linear, 4–7(–10) cm × 10–25(–40) mm, base gradually tapering into petiole, apex obtuse or acute;

veins (7–)9–13(–15).

Submersed leaves

sessile, lax;

stipules persistent, inconspicuous, convolute, free from blade, light brown to reddish, not ligulate, (1.2–)1.5–2.5(–4) cm, not fibrous, not shredding at tip, apex blunt;

blade reddish green, oblong-linear to linear-lanceolate, not arcuate, 4.5–18(–25) cm × 5–20 mm, base rounded, without basal lobes, slightly clasping, margins entire, not crispate, apex not hoodlike, obtuse or acute, lacunae in 0–6 rows each side of midvein;

veins 7–9.

Inflorescences

unbranched, emersed;

peduncles not dimorphic, terminal or axillary, erect, cylindric, 3–10(–16) cm;

spikes not dimorphic, cylindric, 10–35 mm.

unbranched, emersed;

peduncles not dimorphic, terminal or occasionally axillary, erect or rarely recurved, slightly clavate, 1–3 cm;

spikes not dimorphic, cylindric, 5–11 mm.

Fruits

pedicellate, tawny olive-green, obovoid, plump, turgid, abaxially keeled, laterally keeled or not, (2.5–)3–3.5 × (1.7–)2–2.4 mm, lateral keels when present without points;

beak abaxially curved, 0.5–0.9 mm;

sides without basal tubercles;

embryo with 1 full spiral.

sessile, dark green, orbicular, turgid, abaxial keel obscure, lateral keels obscure or absent, 2.5–3 × 2.2–3 mm, lateral keels if present without points;

beak erect, 0.5 mm;

sides without basal tubercles;

embryo with 1 full spiral.

Chromosome number

unknownnot available.

Rhizome(s)

present.

absent.

2n

= 52.

Potamogeton alpinus

Potamogeton ogdenii

Phenology Flowering early summer–fall. Flowering mid summer–fall.
Habitat Ponds, lakes, and slow-moving streams Alkaline waters of ponds and lakes
Elevation 400–2500 m (1300–8200 ft) 100–300 m (300–1000 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AK; CA; CO; ID; MA; ME; MI; MN; MT; NH; NJ; NV; NY; OR; PA; SD; UT; VT; WA; WI; WY; AB; BC; MB; NB; NL; NS; NT; NU; ON; PE; QC; SK; YT; Greenland; Europe; Asia Eurasia
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CT; MA; NY; VT; ON
Discussion

Plants of Potamogeton alpinus often are red whenever taken from the water, a feature that makes this species quite distinctive.

Two varieties, Potamogeton alpinus var. tenuifolius and var. subellipticus, have been recognized in North America, based mainly on submersed leaf shape. Plants bearing both leaf types have been observed in the same population; hence the varieties are not recognized.

Four hybrids, Potamogeton alpinus × P. nodosus (= P. ×subobtusus Hagström), P. alpinus × P. gramineus (= P. xnericius Hagström), P. alpinus × P. praelongus (= P. ×griffithii A. Bennett), and P. alpinus × P. perfoliatus (= P. ×prussicus Hagström), have been described.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Potamogeton ogdenii is an extremely local species, probably known from fewer than a dozen localities. The species is herein reported for the first time from Canada, being known from that country by a single collection made in 1987.

Of conservation concern.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 22. FNA vol. 22.
Parent taxa Potamogetonaceae > Potamogeton Potamogetonaceae > Potamogeton
Sibling taxa
P. amplifolius, P. bicupulatus, P. clystocarpus, P. confervoides, P. crispus, P. diversifolius, P. epihydrus, P. floridanus, P. foliosus, P. friesii, P. gramineus, P. groenlandicus, P. hillii, P. illinoensis, P. natans, P. nodosus, P. oakesianus, P. oblongus, P. obtusifolius, P. ogdenii, P. perfoliatus, P. praelongus, P. pulcher, P. pusillus, P. richardsonii, P. robbinsii, P. spirillus, P. strictifolius, P. subsibiricus, P. tennesseensis, P. vaseyi, P. zosteriformis
P. alpinus, P. amplifolius, P. bicupulatus, P. clystocarpus, P. confervoides, P. crispus, P. diversifolius, P. epihydrus, P. floridanus, P. foliosus, P. friesii, P. gramineus, P. groenlandicus, P. hillii, P. illinoensis, P. natans, P. nodosus, P. oakesianus, P. oblongus, P. obtusifolius, P. perfoliatus, P. praelongus, P. pulcher, P. pusillus, P. richardsonii, P. robbinsii, P. spirillus, P. strictifolius, P. subsibiricus, P. tennesseensis, P. vaseyi, P. zosteriformis
Synonyms P. alpinus subsp. tenuifolius, P. alpinus var. subellipticus, P. alpinus var. tenuifolius, P. tenuifolius, P. tenuifolius var. subellipticus
Name authority Balbis: Misc. Bot. 13. (1804) Hellquist & R. L. Hilton: Systematic Botany 8: 88, figs. 1–3, plates 1–2, figs. 1–3. (1983)
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