The green links below add additional plants to the comparison table. Blue links lead to other Web sites.
enable glossary links

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

clasping-leaf pondweed, potamot de Richardson, Richardson's pondweed

Cauline stems

compressed, without spots, 10–35 cm;

glands absent.

terete, without spots, to 100 cm;

nodal glands absent.

Turions

absent.

absent.

Leaves

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

submersed, ± spirally arranged, sessile, lax;

stipules persistent, conspicuous, convolute, free from blade, white, not ligulate, 0.12–0.17 cm, fibrous, disintegrating to persistent fibers, even on proximal portion of stem, shredding at apex, apex obtuse;

blade olive green, ovate-lanceolate to narrowly lanceolate, not arcuate, 1.6–13 cm × 5–28 mm, base rounded, without basal lobes, clasping, margins entire to crispate, apex not hoodlike, not splitting when pressed, acute to obtuse, lacunae absent;

veins 3–35.

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.

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.

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.

emersed, unbranched;

peduncles not dimorphic, terminal or axillary, erect to rarely recurved, clavate, 1.5–14.8 cm;

spikes not dimorphic, cylindric, 13–37 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, obovoid, turgid to concave, not or rarely abaxially keeled, not laterally keeled, 2.2–4.2 × 1.7–2.9 mm;

beak erect, 0.4–0.7 mm;

sides without basal tubercles;

embryo with 1 full spiral.

Rhizome(s)

present.

present.

2n

= 52.

Potamogeton diversifolius

Potamogeton richardsonii

Phenology Flowering and fruiting spring–fall. Flowering summer–fall.
Habitat Ponds, lakes, streams, and rivers Alkaline waters of lakes, streams, and rivers
Elevation 5–2500 m (0–8200 ft) 0–3000 m (0–9800 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
AK; CA; CO; CT; IA; ID; IL; IN; MA; ME; MI; MN; MT; ND; NE; NH; NV; NY; OH; OR; PA; SD; UT; VT; WA; WI; WY; AB; BC; MB; NB; NS; NT; ON; QC; SK; YT
[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 richardsonii is quite similar to P. perfoliatus. Specific characteristics to separate the two species are the shape of the leaf blade apex, acute in P. richardsonii and obtuse in P. perfoliatus, and the condition of the stipules, disintegrating between the veins leaving fibrous strands in P. richardsonii, and the entire stipule, including the veins, disintegrating in P. perfoliatus.

Two hybrids, Potamogeton gramineus × P. richardsonii (= P. × hagstroemii A. Bennett [as hagstromii]) and P. nodosus × P. richardsonii (= P. × rectifolius A. Bennett), have been described.

(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. 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. robbinsii, P. spirillus, P. strictifolius, P. subsibiricus, P. tennesseensis, P. vaseyi, P. zosteriformis
Synonyms P. capillaceus P. perfoliatus var. richardsonii, P. perfoliatus subsp. richardsonii
Name authority Rafinesque: Medical Repository hexade 2, 5:354. (1808) (A. Bennett) Rydberg: Bulletin of the Torrey Botanical Club 32: 599. (1905)
Web links