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closed-leaf pondweed, leafy pondweed

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

Rhizomes

absent.

present.

Cauline stems

slightly compressed, without spots, 4–75 cm;

glands rarely present, black to gold, to 0.5 mm diam.

terete, often rusty spotted, 6–110 cm;

nodal glands absent.

Turions

uncommon, lateral or terminal, 0.9–2.5 cm × 0.6–2 mm, soft;

outer leaves 1–3 per side, base not corrugate, apex acute to apiculate;

inner leaves rolled into hardened fusiform structure.

absent.

Leaves

submersed, ± spirally arranged, sessile, delicate;

stipules persistent, inconspicuous, convolute, free from blade, greenish to brown or rarely white, not ligulate, 0.2–2.2 cm, delicate to fibrous, rarely shredding at tip, apex obtuse;

blade pale green to olive-green, rarely somewhat reddish, linear, not arcuate, 1.3–8.2 cm × 0.3–2.3 mm, base slightly tapering, without basal lobes, not clasping, margins entire, not crispate, apex not hoodlike, acute to apiculate, rarely with bristle, lacunae rarely present, 0–2 rows each side of midrib;

veins 1–3(–5).

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.

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.

Inflorescences

unbranched, emersed;

peduncles not dimorphic, in axils of proximal, rarely distal leaves, recurved, clavate, 0.3–1.1(–3.7) cm;

spikes not dimorphic, capitate to cylindric, 1.5–7 mm.

unbranched, emersed;

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

spikes not dimorphic, cylindric, 34–65 mm.

Fruits

pale green to olive-green or brown, obovate to nearly orbicular, turgid to concave, sessile, abaxially keeled, not laterally keeled, 1.4–2.7 × 1.1–2.2 mm, abaxial keel undulate, winglike;

beak erect, 0.2–0.6 mm;

sides without basal tubercles;

embryo with 1 full spiral.

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.

2n

= 52.

Potamogeton foliosus

Potamogeton amplifolius

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

Subspecies 2 (2 in the flora).

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

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.)

Key
1. Spike rarely interrupted; fruits olive to green-brown, 1.5–2.7 × 1.2–2.2 mm; keel 0.2 mm or more high; beak 0.2–0.6 mm; stipular veins decaying with age.
subsp. foliosus
1. Spike interrupted; fruits pale green, 1.4–1.7 × 1.1–1.2 mm; keel less than 0.2 mm high; beak 0.2 or less; stipular veins with age remaining as fibers
subsp. fibrillosus
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. diversifolius, P. epihydrus, P. floridanus, 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. 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
Subordinate taxa
P. foliosus subsp. fibrillosus, P. foliosus subsp. foliosus
Name authority Rafinesque: Medical Repository hexade 2, 5:354. (1808) Tuckerman: American Journal of Science, and Arts ser. 2, 6:225. (1848)
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