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

blunt-leaf pondweed, potamot à feuilles obtuses

cinnamonspot pondweed, potamot oblong

Cauline stems

slightly compressed, without spots, 35–90 cm;

glands yellow-green to gold, 0.2–1 mm diam.

terete, without spots, 5–30 cm;

nodal glands absent.

Turions

terminal, abundant, 3.5–7.8 cm × 2.3–5.1 mm, soft;

leaves ± 2-ranked;

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

inner leaves undifferentiated.

absent.

Leaves

submersed, ± spirally arranged, sessile, flaccid;

stipules persistent, inconspicuous, convolute, free from blade, white, not ligulate, 0.6–1.8 cm, fibrous, rarely shredding at tip, apex obtuse;

blade light green to somewhat reddish, linear, not arcuate, 3–8.2 cm × 1–3.5 mm, base slightly tapering, without basal lobes, not clasping, margins entire, not crispate, apex not hoodlike, obtuse or round-apiculate, lacunae in 1–3 rows each side of midrib;

veins 3.

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

Floating leaves

petioles continuous in color to apex, 1–17 cm;

blade adaxially reddish brown, ovate, 3–8(–10) cm × 10–46 mm, base rounded or slightly cordate, apex obtuse, acute, or somewhat apiculate;

veins (11–)15–19(–21).

Submersed leaves

petiolate, lax;

stipules persistent, conspicuous, convolute, free from blade, greenish, not ligulate, to 3 cm, not fibrous, not shredding at tip, apex acute;

petioles 1–3(–8) cm;

blade dark green, lanceolate to occasionally ovate, occasionally arcuate, 3–13 cm × 4–15(–44) mm, base acute, without basal lobes, not clasping, margins entire, not crispate, apex not hoodlike, acute, lacunae in 2–4 rows each side of midvein;

veins 7–11.

Inflorescences

unbranched, emersed;

peduncles not dimorphic, axillary, erect, rarely recurved, cylindric, 0.8–1.9(–4.2) cm;

spike not dimorphic, cylindric, 8–13 mm.

unbranched, emersed;

peduncles not dimorphic, erect to slightly recurved, cylindric, 4–12 cm;

spikes not dimorphic, cylindric, 20–40 mm.

Fruits

sessile, olive-green to brown, obovoid, turgid, abaxially keeled or not, laterally keeled or not, 2.5–3.6 × 1.7–2.4 mm, lateral keels when present without points;

beak erect, 0.8–1 mm;

sides without basal tubercles;

embryo with 1 full spiral.

sessile, dark reddish brown, obovoid to orbicularoid, compressed, not abaxially or laterally keeled, (1.6–)2–2.5 × (1.2–)1.5–2.1 mm;

beak minute or obsolete, recurved;

sides without basal tubercles;

embryo with 1 full spiral.

Rhizome(s)

absent.

present.

2n

= 26.

= 26.

Potamogeton obtusifolius

Potamogeton oblongus

Phenology Flowering and fruiting summer–fall. Flowering July–August.
Habitat Medium- to low-alkaline waters of lakes and slow-flowing streams Acid to neutral waters of ponds, lakes, and occasionally streams
Elevation 50–2000 m (200–6600 ft) 10–100 m (0–300 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AK; CT; ID; MA; ME; MI; MN; MT; NH; NJ; NY; PA; RI; VT; WA; WI; WY; AB; BC; MB; NB; NB; NF; NS; NT; ON; PE; QC; SK; YT; Eurasia
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
NF; NS; SPM; Europe; n Africa; Atlantic Islands (Azores) [Introduced in North America]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Potamogeton obtusifolius is a distinctive linear-leaved species with the leaf blades round at the apex, especially when fruiting inflorescences 5–7 mm wide are present. This is unusually wide for one of the linear-leaved species.

Two hybrids, Potamogeton obtusifolius × P. pusillus (= P. × saxonicus Hagström) and P. friesii × obtusifolius (= P. × semifructus A. Bennett ex Ascherson & Graebner), have been described.

(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. nodosus, P. oakesianus, P. oblongus, 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. 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 Mertens & W. D. J. Koch: in J. C. Röhling et al., Deutschl. Fl., ed. 3 1: 855. (1823) Viviani: Annali di Botanica 1(2): 102. (1802)
Web links