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broad-leaf pondweed, floating pondweed, floating-leaf pondweed, potamot flottat

little aguja pondweed

Rhizomes

present.

absent.

Cauline stems

terete, often rust-spotted, 30–90 cm;

nodal glands absent.

terete to slightly compressed, without spots, to 57 cm;

glands white to gold, 0.2–0.3 mm diam.

Turions

absent.

unknown.

Leaves

both submersed and floating, ± spirally arranged.

submersed, ± spirally arranged, sessile, delicate;

stipules persistent, inconspicuous, convolute, free from blade, brown, not ligulate, to 0.62 cm, not fibrous, not shredding at tip, apex obtuse;

blade green, linear, not arcuate, 3.2–7.8 cm × 0.7–1.7 mm, base slightly tapering, without basal lobes, not clasping, margins entire, not crispate, apex not hoodlike, acute, lacunae rarely absent, in 0–4 rows each side of midrib;

veins 3(–5).

Floating leaves

petioles lighter green immediately proximal to apex, 5.5–29 cm;

blade adaxially light green, elliptic to ovate, 3.5–11 cm × 15–60 mm, base cordate, apex acute to rounded;

veins 17–37.

Submersed leaves

sessile, rigid;

stipules persistent, conspicuous, convolute, free from blade, whitish, not ligulate, 4.5–1 cm, fibrous, not shredding at tip, apex obtuse;

blade light to dark green, phyllodial, not arcuate, 9–20 cm × 0.7–2.5 mm, base slightly tapering, without basal lobes, not clasping, margins entire, not crispate, apex not hoodlike, obtuse, lacunae absent;

veins 3–5, obscure.

Inflorescences

unbranched, emersed;

peduncles not dimorphic, terminal, erect to ascending, cylindric, 4.5–9.5 cm;

spikes not dimorphic, cylindric, 25–50 mm.

unbranched, emersed;

peduncles not dimorphic, axillary or terminal, erect, cylindric, 3.2–4.8 cm;

spike not dimorphic, capitate to cylindric, 5.5–7.5 mm.

Fruits

sessile, green to greenish brown, obovoid, turgid, not abaxially or laterally keeled, 3.5–5 × 2–3 mm;

beak erect to apically recurved, 0.4–0.8 mm;

sides without basal tubercles;

embryo with 1 full spiral.

sessile, brown to yellow-green, obovoid, compressed, abaxially and laterally keeled, 2–2.2 × 1.7–1.8 mm, lateral keels without points;

beak erect, 0.5–0.6 mm;

sides with 1–3 tubercules near base;

embryo with 1 full spiral.

2n

= 52.

Potamogeton natans

Potamogeton clystocarpus

Phenology Flowering summer–fall. Flowering and fruiting spring–summer.
Habitat Quiet or slow-flowing waters of ponds, lakes, and streams Small streams
Elevation 0–3100 m (0–10200 ft) ca. 1800 m (ca. 5900 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AK; AZ; CA; CO; CT; IA; ID; IL; IN; KS; MA; ME; MI; MN; MT; ND; NE; NH; NJ; NM; NV; NY; OH; OR; PA; RI; SD; UT; VT; WA; WI; WV; WY; AB; BC; MB; NB; NF; NS; NT; ON; PE; QC; SK; YT; Eurasia
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
TX
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Potamogeton natans is the common floating-leaved pondweed of the north temperate ure areas. It is essentially circumboreal and can easily be identified by floating leaves that are almost always cordate at the base of the blade, the petiole with a short band of light tissue at its apex, and the submersed phyllodial leaves. Also, the apex of the petiole usually is bent so that the blade appears oriented in the opposite direction from which the petiole appears to be oriented.

One hybrid, Potamogeton natans × P. nodosus (= P. × schreberi Fischer [P. × perplexus A. Bennett]), has been described.

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

Potamogeton clystocarpus is an extremely limited species known from only one canyon in west Texas.

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. hillii, P. illinoensis, 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. 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
Name authority Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 126. (1753) Fernald: Memoirs of the american academy of arts and science n.s. 17:79, plates 15, 30, fig. 5. (1932)
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