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blunt-leaf pondweed, potamot à feuilles obtuses

potamot de l'ilenissei, Yenisei River pondweed, Yenissei River pondweed

Cauline stems

slightly compressed, without spots, 35–90 cm;

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

compressed-filiform, without spots, to 50 cm;

glands white, 0.3–0.5 mm diam.

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.

lateral, common, 3.5–9.5 cm × 2–5 mm, soft;

leaves ± 2-ranked;

outer leaves 3–4 per side, base not corrugate;

inner leaves undifferentiated.

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.

submersed, ± spirally arranged, sessile, flaccid;

stipules deliquescent, inconspicuous, convolute, free from blade, pale brown, not ligulate, 1–2 cm, not fibrous, not shredding, apex obtuse;

blade dark green, linear, not arcuate, 3.5–9.5 cm × 1.5–2 mm, base slightly tapering, without basal lobes, not clasping, margins entire, not crispate, apex not hoodlike, rounded or nearly acute to mucronate, lacunae in 1–2 rows each side of midvein;

veins 9–17.

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, axillary, erect, cylindric, 1.7–3.5 cm;

spikes not dimorphic, cylindric, 10–30 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, reddish brown, oblong-obovoid, compressed, abaxially ridged, not laterally keeled, 3–4 × 1.5–2 mm;

beak nearly erect, 0.3–0.5 mm;

sides without basal tubercles;

embryo with 1 full coil.

Rhizome(s)

absent.

absent.

2n

= 26.

Potamogeton obtusifolius

Potamogeton subsibiricus

Phenology Flowering and fruiting summer–fall. Fruiting early summer–late summer.
Habitat Medium- to low-alkaline waters of lakes and slow-flowing streams Shallow water of ponds and lakes
Elevation 50–2000 m (200–6600 ft) 0–915 m (0–3000 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
AK; MB; NT; NU; ON; QC; YT; Siberia
[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. oblongus, P. obtusifolius, P. ogdenii, P. perfoliatus, P. praelongus, P. pulcher, P. pusillus, P. richardsonii, P. robbinsii, P. spirillus, P. strictifolius, P. tennesseensis, P. vaseyi, P. zosteriformis
Synonyms P. porsildiorum
Name authority Mertens & W. D. J. Koch: in J. C. Röhling et al., Deutschl. Fl., ed. 3 1: 855. (1823) Hagström: Kongl. Svenska Vetenskapsakademiens Handlingar n.s. 44:555(5):84. (1916)
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