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diverse-leaf pondweed, Rafinesque's pondweed, water-thread pondweed

snail-seed pondweed

Rhizomes

present.

present.

Cauline stems

compressed, without spots, 10–35 cm;

glands absent.

compressed, without spots, 10–25 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

petiolate;

petioles continuous in color to apex, 0.7–0.8 cm;

blade adaxially light green, obovate to elliptic, 0.8–1.6 cm × 3–8.5 mm, base acute, apex round to acute;

veins 3–7.

petiolate;

petioles continuous in color to apex, 5–35 mm;

blade adaxially light green, lanceolate-elliptic to broadly elliptic, 0.6–2.3(–2.8) cm × 1–11 mm, base tapering or rounded, apex acute to long tapering;

veins 3–7.

Submersed leaves

sessile, lax;

stipules persistent to deliquescent, inconspicuous, convolute, adnate to blade ½ stipule length, light brown to red-brown, ligulate, 1.5–2.3 cm, not fibrous, not shredding at tip, apex obtuse;

blade red-brown to light green, linear, often arcuate, 1–1.3 cm × 0.1 mm, base slightly tapering, without basal lobes, not clasping, margins entire, not crispate, apex not hoodlike, acute, lacunae present, 1–2 rows each side midrib;

veins 1.

sessile, lax;

stipules persistent to deliquescent, inconspicuous, convolute, adnate to blade for less than ½ stipule length, light green, ligulate, 0.2–1.2 cm, not fibrous, not shredding at tip, apex obtuse;

blade light green to rarely brown, linear-setaceous, not arcuate, 1.5–11 cm × 0.1–0.4(–0.6) mm, base slightly tapering, without basal lobes, not clasping, margins entire, not crispate, apex not hoodlike, tapering, lacunae absent;

veins 1.

Inflorescences

unbranched;

peduncles dimorphic, submersed axillary, recurved, clavate, 3–5 mm, emersed axillary or terminal, erect to slightly recurved, clavate, 6–15 mm;

spikes dimorphic, submersed capitate, 2–3 mm, emersed cylindric, 5–9.7 mm.

unbranched;

peduncles dimorphic, submersed axillary, somewhat recurved, clavate, 1–10 mm, emersed axillary or terminal, erect to slightly recurved, slightly clavate, 3.5–22 mm;

spikes dimorphic, submersed, globular to ellipsoid, 1.5–7 mm, emersed ellipsoid to cylindric, 3–14 mm.

Fruits

sessile, greenish brown, orbicular, compressed, abaxially winged, laterally winged, 1–1.5 × 0.9–2 mm, lateral wings with sharp points;

beak present, erect, 0.1 mm;

sides without basal tubercles;

embryo with more than 1 full spiral.

sessile, greenish brown, somewhat orbicular, compressed, abaxially keeled, laterally keeled, 1.1–2.1 × 1.1–2 mm, lateral keel without points;

beak absent;

sides without basal tubercles;

embryo with more than 1 full spiral.

Potamogeton diversifolius

Potamogeton bicupulatus

Phenology Flowering and fruiting spring–fall. Flowering early summer–fall.
Habitat Ponds, lakes, streams, and rivers Acidic waters of ponds, lakes, and streams
Elevation 5–2500 m (0–8200 ft) 0–300 m (0–1000 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; AR; AZ; CA; CO; CT; DE; FL; GA; IA; ID; IL; IN; KS; KY; LA; MA; MD; MN; MO; MS; MT; NC; ND; NE; NJ; NV; NY; OH; OK; OR; PA; SC; SD; TN; TX; VA; VT; WI; WV; Mexico; Wyo
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CT; DE; IN; MA; ME; MI; NH; NY; PA; RI; TN; VA; VT; WI; ON
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Potamogeton diversfolius is very likely the most common species of Potamogeton the genus in the southeastern United States. It has been separated into two species, P. diversifolius in the strict sense and P. capillaceus (M. L. Fernald 1932). The species has also been divided into two varieties, var. diversifolius and var. trichophyllous Morong (D. O S. Correll and M. C. Johnston 1970) . Potamogeton diversifolius var. trichophyllous actually is misapplied, as the name really refers to the more northern P. bicupulatus Fernald. We are following E. J. Klekowski Jr. and E. O. Beal (1965) in accepting only one taxon, as we have studied the species over much of its range and reached similar conclusions.

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

Potamogeton bicupulatus is an uncommon species of the acid lakes and streams of northeastern United States and southern Canada. It is the final third species we have with dimorphic inflorescences and embryos with more than one full spiral. It can be separated from the other two, Potamogeton spirillus and P. diversifolius, because it has very narrow submersed leaves without lacunae and fruits with lateral keels without sharp points.

(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. amplifolius, P. bicupulatus, P. clystocarpus, P. confervoides, P. crispus, 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. 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
Synonyms P. capillaceus P. diversifolius var. trichophyllus
Name authority Rafinesque: Medical Repository hexade 2, 5:354. (1808) Fernald: Memoirs of the american academy of arts and science 17: 112. (1932)
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