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

potamot de l'ilenissei, Yenisei River pondweed, Yenissei River pondweed

Cauline stems

compressed, without spots, 10–35 cm;

glands absent.

compressed-filiform, without spots, to 50 cm;

glands white, 0.3–0.5 mm diam.

Turions

absent.

lateral, common, 3.5–9.5 cm × 2–5 mm, soft;

leaves ± 2-ranked;

outer leaves 3–4 per side, base not corrugate;

inner leaves undifferentiated.

Leaves

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

submersed, ± spirally arranged, sessile, flaccid;

stipules deliquescent, inconspicuous, convolute, free from blade, pale brown, not ligulate, 1–2 cm, not fibrous, not shredding, apex obtuse;

blade dark green, linear, not arcuate, 3.5–9.5 cm × 1.5–2 mm, base slightly tapering, without basal lobes, not clasping, margins entire, not crispate, apex not hoodlike, rounded or nearly acute to mucronate, lacunae in 1–2 rows each side of midvein;

veins 9–17.

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.

unbranched, emersed;

peduncles not dimorphic, axillary, erect, cylindric, 1.7–3.5 cm;

spikes not dimorphic, cylindric, 10–30 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, reddish brown, oblong-obovoid, compressed, abaxially ridged, not laterally keeled, 3–4 × 1.5–2 mm;

beak nearly erect, 0.3–0.5 mm;

sides without basal tubercles;

embryo with 1 full coil.

Rhizome(s)

present.

absent.

Potamogeton diversifolius

Potamogeton subsibiricus

Phenology Flowering and fruiting spring–fall. Fruiting early summer–late summer.
Habitat Ponds, lakes, streams, and rivers Shallow water of ponds and lakes
Elevation 5–2500 m (0–8200 ft) 0–915 m (0–3000 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; MB; NT; NU; ON; QC; YT; Siberia
[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.)

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. richardsonii, P. robbinsii, P. spirillus, P. strictifolius, P. tennesseensis, P. vaseyi, P. zosteriformis
Synonyms P. capillaceus P. porsildiorum
Name authority Rafinesque: Medical Repository hexade 2, 5:354. (1808) Hagström: Kongl. Svenska Vetenskapsakademiens Handlingar n.s. 44:555(5):84. (1916)
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