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

Hill's pondweed

Ogden's pondweed, potamot d'Ogden

Rhizomes

absent.

absent.

Cauline stems

slightly compressed, without spots, 30–60 cm;

glands rare, when present, brown to green, 0.1–0.3 mm diam.

compressed-filiform, without spots, to 50 cm;

glands green, golden brown to dark brown, 0.2–0.6 mm diam.

Turions

terminal, rare, 2.8–3 cm × 1.5–3 mm, soft;

leaves ± 2-ranked;

outer leaves 3–4 per side, base not corrugate, apex acute to apiculate;

inner leaves undifferentiated.

terminal or lateral, uncommon, 3.7–9.9 × 2.6–6 cm, soft to hard;

leaves flattened with outer and inner leaves in same plane;

outer leaves 1–2 per side, base not corrugate, apex apiculate;

inner leaves undifferentiated or rolled into hardened, fusiform structure.

Leaves

submersed, ± spirally arranged, sessile, delicate;

stipules persistent, inconspicuous, convolute, free from blade, white to light brown, not ligulate, 0.7–1.6 cm, slightly fibrous, rarely shredding at tip, apex obtuse;

blade pale green to olive-green, linear, not arcuate, 2–6 cm × 0.6–2.5(–4) mm, base slightly tapering, without basal lobes, not clasping, margins entire, not crispate, apex not hoodlike, apiculate to bristle-tipped or rarely blunt, lacunae in 1–2 rows each side of midrib;

veins 3.

submersed, ± spirally arranged, sessile, rigid;

stipules persistent, inconspicuous, convolute, free from blade, brown or rarely white, not ligulate, 0.9–2.1 cm, slightly fibrous, partially shredding at tip, apex obtuse;

blade somewhat reddish to olive-green, linear, not arcuate, 1.5–10 cm × 1.2–2.9 mm, base slightly tapering, without basal lobes, not clasping, margins entire, not crispate, apex not hoodlike, cuspidate to bristle-tipped, lacunae present or absent, in 0–3 rows each side of midvein;

veins 3–9(–13).

Inflorescences

unbranched, emersed;

peduncles not dimorphic, axillary and/or terminal, erect to ascending, rarely recurved, slightly clavate, 6–13.5 mm;

spikes not dimorphic, globose, (2–) 4–7 mm.

unbranched, emersed;

peduncles not dimorphic, terminal or occasionally axillary, erect or rarely recurved, slightly clavate, 1–3 cm;

spikes not dimorphic, cylindric, 5–11 mm.

Fruits

brown to light greenish brown, ovoid to orbicular, turgid, sessile, abaxially and laterally keeled (3-keeled), 2.3–4 × 2–3.2 mm, lateral keels without points;

beak erect, 0.3–0.7 mm;

sides without basal tubercles;

embryo with 1 full spiral.

sessile, dark green, orbicular, turgid, abaxial keel obscure, lateral keels obscure or absent, 2.5–3 × 2.2–3 mm, lateral keels if present without points;

beak erect, 0.5 mm;

sides without basal tubercles;

embryo with 1 full spiral.

Chromosome number

unknownnot available.

unknownnot available.

Potamogeton hillii

Potamogeton ogdenii

Phenology Flowering and fruiting summer. Flowering mid summer–fall.
Habitat Alkaline waters of marshes, ponds, lakes, and slow-moving streams Alkaline waters of ponds and lakes
Elevation 50–400 m (200–1300 ft) 100–300 m (300–1000 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CT; MA; MI; NY; OH; PA; VA; VT; WI; ON
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CT; MA; NY; VT; ON
Discussion

Potamogeton hillii is an easily recognized species either in fruit or when sterile. The leaf blade has a bristle tip and five or fewer veins. Those characters combined with the usual absence of nodal glands will separate this species from all other North American linear-leaved species. Ecologically, it is consistently found in more alkaline waters than any other North American pondweed. A study of 35 localities established the mean to be 124.1 mg/l CaCO3 (C. B. Hellquist 1984).

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

Potamogeton ogdenii is an extremely local species, probably known from fewer than a dozen localities. The species is herein reported for the first time from Canada, being known from that country by a single collection made in 1987.

Of conservation concern.

(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. friesii, P. gramineus, P. groenlandicus, 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. 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. porteri
Name authority Morong: Botanical Gazette 6: 290, fig. 3. (1881) Hellquist & R. L. Hilton: Systematic Botany 8: 88, figs. 1–3, plates 1–2, figs. 1–3. (1983)
Web links