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loddon's pondweed, long-leaf pondweed, pondweed, potamot noeuex

fern pondweed, potamot de Robbins, Robbin's pondweed

Rhizomes

present.

present.

Cauline stems

terete, without spots, to 100 cm;

nodal glands absent.

terete, without spots, to 100 cm;

glands absent.

Turions

absent.

absent.

Leaves

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

submersed, conspicuously 2-ranked, sessile, stiffish;

stipules persistent, conspicuous, adnate to base of blade about ± ¼ length of stipule, connate, greenish brown to white, ligulate, 0.5–2 cm, fibrous, shredding at tip, apex obtuse;

blade dark green to reddish green, linear to lanceolate, not arcuate, 2–7(–12) cm × 3–4(–8) mm, base rounded, with basal lobes, not clasping, margins minutely spinulose to serrulate, not crispate, apex not hoodlike, acute, lacunae absent;

veins 20–60, fine.

Floating leaves

petioles 3.5–26 cm;

blade adaxially light green, lenticular to elliptic, 3–11 cm × 15–45 mm, base cuneate to rounded, apex acute to rounded;

veins 9–21.

Submersed leaves

petiolate, lax;

stipules persistent to deliquescent, conspicuous, convolute, free from blade, light brown, not ligulate, 3–9 cm, not fibrous, not shredding at tip, apex round to acute;

petioles 2–13 cm;

blade light to dark green, linear-lanceolate to lance-elliptic, not arcuate, 9–20 cm × 10–35 mm, base acute, without basal lobes, not clasping, margins entire, not crispate, apex not hoodlike, acute, without sharp awl-like tip, lacunae in 2–5 rows each side of midrib;

veins 7–15.

Inflorescences

unbranched, emersed;

peduncles not dimorphic, terminal, erect to ascending, cylindric, 3–15 cm;

spikes not dimorphic, cylindric, 20–70 mm.

often branched;

peduncles not dimorphic, axillary, erect, cylindric, 3–5(–7) cm;

spikes not dimorphic, moniliform (i.e., beaded), 7–20 mm.

Fruits

sessile, red to reddish brown, obovoid, abaxially keeled, laterally ridged, 2.7–4.3 × 2.5–3 mm, keel well developed, lateral ridges with blunt to sharp tips;

beak erect;

sides without basal tubercles;

embryo with 1 full spiral.

stipitate, brown, obliquely obovoid, turgid, abaxially and laterally keeled, 3–4(–5) × 2(–3.3) mm, lateral keels without points;

beak erect, recurved at apex, 0.7–0.9 mm;

sides without basal tubercles;

embryo with less than 1 full spiral.

2n

= 52.

= 52.

Potamogeton nodosus

Potamogeton robbinsii

Phenology Flowering summer–fall. Flowering late summer–early fall.
Habitat Clear to turbid waters of lakes, streams, rivers, and sloughs Shallow to deep water of ponds, lakes, and slow-flowing rivers
Elevation 0–3300 m (0–10800 ft) 0–3000 m (0–9800 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
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; NB; ON; QC; SK; Mexico; Central America; South America; West Indies; Eurasia
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AK; AL; CA; CT; ID; IL; IN; MA; ME; MI; MN; MT; NH; NJ; NY; OH; OR; PA; RI; UT; VT; WA; WI; WY; AB; BC; MB; NB; NS; NT; NU; ON; PE; QC; SK
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Six hybrids, Potamogeton gramineus × P. nodosus (= P. × argutulus Hagström), P. illinoensis × P. nodosus (= P. × faxonii Morong), P. nodosus × P. richardsonii (= P. × rectifolius A. Bennett), P. natans × P. nodosus (= P. × schreberi Fischer [P. × perplexus A. Bennett]), P. alpinus × P. nodosus (= P. × subotusus Hagström), and P. epihydrus × P. nodosus (= P. × subsessilis Hagström), have been described.

Potamogeton nodosus is a common floating-leaved species throughout much of the United States and southern Canada. When both submersed and floating leaves are present, it is very easily recognized by the petioles of the submersed leaves being longer than 5 cm.

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

Potamogeton robbinsii is our most easily recognized species when it is fertile. It is the only species with branched inflorescences. The species, however, occurs in fairly deep water, forming large colonies that essentially cover the substrate. Only rarely do the plants flower. It also is the only species with truly auriculate leaves, the blades forming small lobes projecting past the stem on each side of the stem. Leaf blades of other Potamogeton species may have slightly rounded bases, but no others have lobes that actually protrude past the stem.

The species has a fairly large disjunction; primarily known from the northern part of the flora, it also occurs in the Tensas River area, Baldwin County, Alabama. The Alabama population has been collected on at least two occasions over 40 years, once as recently as 1970.

(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. natans, 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. spirillus, P. strictifolius, P. subsibiricus, P. tennesseensis, P. vaseyi, P. zosteriformis
Name authority Poiret: in J. Lamarck et al., Encyclopedie Methodique. Botanique... Supplement 4(2): 5354. (1816) Oakes: Magazine of horticulture, botany and all useful discoveries and improvements in rural affairs 7: 180. (1841)
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