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flat-stalk pondweed, Fries' pondweed, potamot de Fries

northern snail-seed pondweed, potamot spirille, spiral pondweed

Rhizomes

absent.

present.

Cauline stems

compressed, without spots, 10–135 cm;

glands green, greenish brown, or gold, to 0.7 mm diam.

compressed, without spots, 5–40 cm;

glands absent.

Turions

terminal or lateral, common, 1.5–5 cm × 1.5–4 mm, soft;

leaves ± 4-ranked;

outer leaves 2–3 per side, base corrugate, apex apiculate to acute;

inner leaves reduced, arranged into fan-shaped structure and oriented at 90° angles to outer leaves.

absent.

Leaves

submersed, ± spirally arranged, delicate to rigid, sessile;

stipules not persistent, inconspicuous, convolute, free from blade, white, not ligulate, 0.55–2.1 cm, fibrous, coarse, shredding at tip, apex obtuse;

blade light green, rarely olive-green to.somewhat reddish, linear, not arcuate, 2.3–6.5 cm × 1.2–3.2 mm, base slightly tapering, without basal lobes, not clasping, margins entire, not crispate, apex not hoodlike, acute to apiculate, lacunae absent or 1 narrow row each side of midrib;

veins 5–7(–9).

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

Floating leaves

petiolate;

petioles continuous in color to apex, 5–25 mm;

blade adaxially light green, oblong to obovate, 0.7–—3.5 cm × 2–13 mm, base tapered to rounded, apex obtuse, rounded;

veins 5–15.

Submersed leaves

sessile, lax;

stipules persistent to deliquescent, inconspicuous, convolute, adnate to blade for ½ stipule length, reddish brown to light green, ligulate, 2–12 mm, not fibrous, not shredding at tip, apex obtuse;

blade red-brown to light green, linear, not arcuate, 0.8–8 cm × 0.5–2 mm, base slightly tapering, without basal lobes, not clasping, margins entire, not crispate, apex not hoodlike, obtuse to acute, lacunae present, a broad band each side of midvein;

veins 1–3.

Inflorescences

unbranched, emersed;

peduncles not dimorphic, terminal or axillary, erect or rarely recurved, slightly clavate, 1.2–4.1(–7) cm;

spike not dimorphic, cylindric, 7–16 mm.

unbranched;

peduncles dimorphic, submersed axillary, recurved, clavate, 0.5–3 mm, emersed axillary or terminal, erect to recurved, slightly clavate, 4–27 mm;

spikes dimorphic, submersed capitate, 2–5 mm, emersed ellipsoid to cylindric, 4–13 mm.

Fruits

sessile, olive-green to brown, obovoid, turgid, not abaxially or laterally keeled, 1.8–2.5 × 1.2–2 mm;

beak erect, 0.3–0.7 mm;

sides without basal tubercles;

embryo with 1 full spiral.

sessile, greenish brown, somewhat orbicular, compressed, abaxially winged, laterally winged, 4–13 × 1.3–2.4 mm, lateral wing with blunt tips;

beak absent;

sides without basal tubercles;

embryo with more than 1 full spiral.

2n

= 26.

Potamogeton friesii

Potamogeton spirillus

Phenology Flowering and fruiting summer–fall. Flowering mid summer–late fall.
Habitat Calcareous to brackish waters of lakes and slow-flowing streams Neutral to acidic waters of ponds, lakes, and streams
Elevation 0–3100 m (0–10200 ft) 0–400 m (0–1300 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AK; CO; CT; IA; ID; IL; IN; MA; ME; MI; MN; MT; ND; NE; NH; NY; OH; PA; RI; SD; UT; VT; WA; WI; WY; AB; BC; MB; NB; NF; NS; NT; ON; PE; QC; SK; YT; Eurasia
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CT; IA; MA; ME; MI; MN; NE; NH; NJ; NY; OH; PA; RI; VT; WI; MB; NB; NF; NS; ON; PE; QC
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Potamogeton friesii is a fairly common linear-leaved species, especially of calcareous waters of lakes and streams of the upper Midwest. Whenever turions are present, the species is easily identified, as it is the only one with the outer leaves of the turions having corrugate bases and the inner leaves turned at right angles to the outer leaves.

Two hybrids, Potamogeton friesii × P. pusillus (= P. × pusilliformis Fischer [P. × intermedius Fischer]) and P. friesii × P. obtusifolius (= P. × semifructus A. Bennett ex Ascherson & Graebner), have been described.

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

The This is the firstone of three Potamogeton species in the flora area with dimorphic inflorescences. It can be separated from the other two species because its submersed leaf blades have broad lacunae, extending nearly from the midvein to the margin, and its fruits have lateral wings with blunt points along it. along them.

(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. diversifolius, P. epihydrus, P. floridanus, P. foliosus, 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. strictifolius, P. subsibiricus, P. tennesseensis, P. vaseyi, P. zosteriformis
Name authority Ruprecht: Hist. Stirp. Fl. Petrop. 43. (1845) Tuckerman: American Journal of Science, and Arts ser. 2, 6:228. (1848)
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