Potamogeton pulcher |
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heartleaf pondweed, potamot gracieux, spotted pondweed |
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Rhizomes | present. |
Cauline stems | terete, conspicuously spotted, 8–95 cm; nodal glands absent. |
Turions | absent. |
Leaves | both submersed and floating, ± spirally arranged. |
Floating leaves | petioles continuous in color to apex, 1–16.5 cm; blade adaxially light to dark green, lanceolate to round-ovate, 2.5–8.5 cm × 11–44 mm, base rounded to cordate, apex acute to rounded; veins 15–21. |
Submersed leaves | petiolate, lax; stipules deliquescent, inconspicuous, convolute, free from blade, light to dark brown, not ligulate, 0.7–1.2 cm, not fibrous, not shredding at tip, apex obtuse; petioles 0.5–4.5 cm; blade dark green, linear-lanceolate to lanceolate, often arcuate, 3.5–13.8 cm × 60–165 mm acute, base acute to rounded, without basal lobes, margins entire, crispate, apex not hoodlike, acute to obtuse, lacunae in 2–5 rows each side of midrib; veins 7–19. |
Inflorescences | unbranched, emersed; peduncles not dimorphic, terminal or axillary, erect to ascending, cylindric, 3.3–9.4 cm; spikes not dimorphic, cylindric, 17–36 mm. |
Fruits | sessile, dark green to dark brown, ovoid to obovoid, turgid, abaxially keeled, laterally ridged, 5–6.5 × 4.1–5 mm, lateral ridges without points; beak erect, 0.5 mm; embryo with 1 full spiral. |
Chromosome number | apparently unknown not available. |
Potamogeton pulcher |
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Phenology | Flowers summer–fall. |
Habitat | Stagnant to slow-flowing waters of streams, lakes, ponds, and small rivers |
Elevation | 0–700 m (0–2300 ft) |
Distribution |
AL; AR; CT; DE; FL; GA; IL; IN; KY; LA; MA; MD; ME; MI; MN; MO; MS; NC; NH; NJ; NY; OH; OK; PA; RI; SC; TN; TX; VA; WI; WV; NB; NS; PE; Ont
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Discussion | Potamogeton pulcher is similar in morphology to P. amplifolius and occurs in similar habitats. Potamogeton pulcher differs from P. amplifolius by the former having lanceolate to linear-lanceolate submersed leaves with fewer than 19 veins, whereas the latter has ovate submersed leaves with more than 19 veins. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 22. |
Parent taxa | Potamogetonaceae > Potamogeton |
Sibling taxa | |
Name authority | Tuckerman: American Journal of Science, and Arts 45:38. (1843) |
Web links |