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big-leaf pondweed, broad-leaf pondweed, large-leaf pondweed, potamot à grandes feuilles

Nuttall's ribbon-leaf pondweed, potamot emerge, ribbon-leaf pondweed

Rhizomes

present.

present.

Cauline stems

terete, often rusty spotted, 6–110 cm;

nodal glands absent.

flattened, without spots, 10–90 cm;

glands absent.

Turions

absent.

absent.

Leaves

both submersed and floating or floating absent, ± spirally arranged.

both submersed and floating or floating absent, ± spirally arranged.

Floating leaves

petioles continuous in color to apex, 2.3–22.6 cm;

blade adaxially light green, lanceolate to round elliptic, 4.3–9.2 cm × 25–38 mcm, base rounded to cordate, apex acute to rounded;

veins 27–49.

petiolate;

petioles continuous in color to apex, 2–12.5 cm;

blade adaxially light green, narrowly oblong-oblanceolate to elliptic, 2–8 cm × 4–20 mm, base acute, apex rounded or bluntly cuspidate;

veins 11–41.

Submersed leaves

petiolate, lax;

stipules persistent, conspicuous, convolute, free from blade, light brown, not ligulate, 1.5–11.7 cm, not fibrous, not shredding at tip, apex acute;

petioles terete, 0.9–11.5 cm;

blade light to dark green, ovate to oblanceolate, distinctly arcuate, 5–12.5 cm × 15–58 mm, base rounded to acute, without basal lobes, not clasping, margins entire, crispate, apex not hoodlike, acute to round-apiculate, lacunae absent;

veins 19–49.

sessile, lax;

stipules persistent, inconspicuous, convolute, free from blade, red-brown, not ligulate, 1–3 cm, not fibrous, not shredding at tip, apex obtuse;

blade red-brown to light green, linear, not arcuate, 5–22 cm × 1–10 mm, base not clasping, without basal lobes, margins entire, not crispate, apex not hoodlike, blunt to acute, lacunae present, broad band each side of midvein;

veins 3–13.

Inflorescences

unbranched, emersed;

peduncles not dimorphic, terminal or axillary, erect, cylindric, 4.5–22.3 cm;

spikes not dimorphic, cylindric, 34–65 mm.

unbranched, emersed;

peduncles not dimorphic, axillary, erect, cylindric, 1.5–5(–16) cm;

spikes not dimorphic, cylindric, 0.8–4 cm.

Fruits

sessile, reddish brown, obovoid, turgid, abaxially keeled, laterally ridged, 5–6.7 × 4.5–5.2 mm, lateral ridges without points;

beak erect, 0.5–0.8 mm;

sides without basal tubercles;

embryo with full spiral.

sessile, greenish brown, round-obovoid, flattened, abaxially and laterally keeled, 2.5–4.5 × 2–3.6 mm, lateral keels without sharp points;

beak erect, 0.5 mm;

sides without basal tubercles;

embryo with less than 1 full spiral.

2n

= 52.

= 26.

Potamogeton amplifolius

Potamogeton epihydrus

Phenology Flowering summer–fall. Flowering summer–fall.
Habitat Waters of lakes, ponds, streams, and rivers Still or flowing waters of lakes, ponds, streams, and rivers
Elevation 0–1900(–2900) m (0–6200(–9500) ft) 10–1900 m (0–6200 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; AR; CA; CT; GA; IA; ID; IL; IN; KS; MA; MD; ME; MI; MN; MO; MT; NC; NE; NH; NJ; NY; OH; OK; OR; PA; RI; SD; TN; VA; VT; WA; WI; WV; WY; BC; MB; NB; NF; NS; ON; QC; SK
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AK; AL; CA; CO; CT; DE; FL; GA; IA; ID; IN; LA; MA; MD; ME; MI; MN; MS; MT; NC; NH; NJ; NY; OH; OR; PA; RI; SC; SD; TN; UT; VA; VT; WA; WI; WV; WY; BC; MB; NB; NL; NS; ON; PE; QC; SK; SPM; Europe
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

No specimens have been seen from Kentucky or Texas, but the species is to be expected there.

Potamogeton amplifolius is common throughout much of North America. Its submersed leaves are larger than those of most other species of Potamogeton, are arcuate, and have more veins than do any other species.

One hybrid, Potamogeton amplifolius × P. illinoensis (= P. × scoliophyllus Hagström), has been described.

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

No specimens have been seen from Maryland, but the species is to be expected there.

Two varieties, Potamogeton epihydrus var. epihydrus and var. ramosus, have been recognized. These prove not to be distinct. Both varieties often grow in the same body of water in the same population. The wider-leaved plants often occur in more alkaline waters. Two hybrids, P. epihydrus var. nuttallii × P. gramineus and P. epihydrus × P. nodosus (= P. ×subsessilis Hagström), have been described.

Potamogeton epihydrus is a common species of lakes and streams of northern United States and southern Canada. It extends southward in the eastern United States to Louisiana and Alabama. Potamogeton epihydrus is one of our more easily recognized species: it has floating leaves, linear submersed leaves, and fruits with an embryo with one full spiral or less. The only other North American pondweed with a similar set of characteristics is P. tennesseensis, which differs from P. epihydrus by the former having long tapering apices in the submersed leaves whereas the latter has blunt to acute apices.

(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. alpinus, 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. 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
Synonyms P. epihydrus subsp. nuttallii, P. epihydrus var. ramosus
Name authority Tuckerman: American Journal of Science, and Arts ser. 2, 6:225. (1848) Rafinesque: Medical Repository 5: 354. 1808, hexade hexade 2; 3; 2:409. (1811)
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