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clasping-leaf pondweed, potamot de Richardson, Richardson's pondweed

grass-leaf pondweed, grassy pondweed, potamot à feuilles de graminées, variable pondweed, variable-leaf pondweed

Cauline stems

terete, without spots, to 100 cm;

nodal glands absent.

terete to flattened, without spots, to 150 cm;

nodal glands absent.

Turions

absent.

absent.

Leaves

submersed, ± spirally arranged, sessile, lax;

stipules persistent, conspicuous, convolute, free from blade, white, not ligulate, 0.12–0.17 cm, fibrous, disintegrating to persistent fibers, even on proximal portion of stem, shredding at apex, apex obtuse;

blade olive green, ovate-lanceolate to narrowly lanceolate, not arcuate, 1.6–13 cm × 5–28 mm, base rounded, without basal lobes, clasping, margins entire to crispate, apex not hoodlike, not splitting when pressed, acute to obtuse, lacunae absent;

veins 3–35.

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

Floating leaves

petioles continuous in color to apex, 3–4.5 cm;

blade yellow-green to dark green, elliptic to ovate, 3.5–4 cm × 16–20 mm, base rounded, apex acuminate;

veins 11–13.

Submersed leaves

sessile or rarely petiolate, lax;

stipules persistent, inconspicuous, convolute, free from blade, pale green to brown, not ligulate, 1.3–1.6 cm, not fibrous, not shredding at tip, apex acute to obtuse;

petioles to 3 cm;

blade light green to brownish green, elliptic, not arcuate, 3.1–9.1 cm × 3–27 mm, base attenuate, without basal lobes, not clasping, margins entire, rarely crispate, apex not hoodlike, acuminate, lacunae in 1–2 rows each side of midvein;

veins 3–9.

Inflorescences

emersed, unbranched;

peduncles not dimorphic, terminal or axillary, erect to rarely recurved, clavate, 1.5–14.8 cm;

spikes not dimorphic, cylindric, 13–37 mm.

emersed, unbranched;

peduncles not dimorphic, both axillary and terminal, erect to ascending, cylindric, 3.2–7.7 cm;

spikes not dimorphic, cylindric, 15–35 mm.

Fruits

sessile, greenish brown, obovoid, turgid to concave, not or rarely abaxially keeled, not laterally keeled, 2.2–4.2 × 1.7–2.9 mm;

beak erect, 0.4–0.7 mm;

sides without basal tubercles;

embryo with 1 full spiral.

sessile, greenish brown, ovoid, laterally compressed, abaxially and laterally keeled, 1.9–2.3 × 1.8–2 mm, lateral keels without points;

beak erect, 0.3–0.5 mm;

sides without basal tubercles;

embryo with less than 1 full spiral.

Rhizome(s)

present.

present.

2n

= 52.

= 52.

Potamogeton richardsonii

Potamogeton gramineus

Phenology Flowering summer–fall. Flowering summer–fall.
Habitat Alkaline waters of lakes, streams, and rivers Ponds, lakes, streams, and rivers
Elevation 0–3000 m (0–9800 ft) 0–3500 m (0–11500 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AK; CA; CO; CT; IA; ID; IL; IN; MA; ME; MI; MN; MT; ND; NE; NH; NV; NY; OH; OR; PA; SD; UT; VT; WA; WI; WY; AB; BC; MB; NB; NS; NT; ON; QC; SK; YT
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AK; AZ; CA; CO; CT; IA; ID; IL; IN; KS; KY; MA; MD; ME; MI; MN; MT; ND; NE; NH; NJ; NV; NY; OH; OR; PA; RI; SD; UT; VT; WA; WI; WY; AB; BC; MB; NB; NL; NS; NT; NU; ON; PE; QC; SK; YT; SPM; Greenland; Eurasia
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Potamogeton richardsonii is quite similar to P. perfoliatus. Specific characteristics to separate the two species are the shape of the leaf blade apex, acute in P. richardsonii and obtuse in P. perfoliatus, and the condition of the stipules, disintegrating between the veins leaving fibrous strands in P. richardsonii, and the entire stipule, including the veins, disintegrating in P. perfoliatus.

Two hybrids, Potamogeton gramineus × P. richardsonii (= P. × hagstroemii A. Bennett [as hagstromii]) and P. nodosus × P. richardsonii (= P. × rectifolius A. Bennett), have been described.

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

Seven hybrids, Potamogeton gramineus × P. nodosus (= P. × argutulus Hagström), P. gramineus × P. richardsonii (= P. hagstroemii A. Bennett [as hagstromii]), P. alpinus × P. gramineus (= P. × nericius Hagström), P. gramineus × P. perfoliatus (= P. × nitens Weber [P. × subnitens Hagström]), P. gramineus × P. natans (= P. × sparganiifolius Laestadius ex Fries), P. gramineus × P. illinoensis [= P. × spathuliformis (J. W. Robbins) Morong)], and P. gramineus × P. praelongus (= P. × vilnensis Galinis), have been described.

Three varieties were recognized (E. C. Ogden 19435) and treated (M. L. Fernald 1950). These varieties, Potamogeton gramineus var. gramineus, deletion}P. gramineus var. myriophyllus, and P. gramineus var. maximus, were said to be separated by the shape and size of the submersed leaves. We have studied many populations of this species in the field and have observed on several occasions that a single population has leaf morphology variable enough to include all three varieties. We have, , therefore, chosen not to recognize any infraspecific categories for this species.

(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. obtusifolius, P. ogdenii, P. perfoliatus, P. praelongus, P. pulcher, P. pusillus, 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. 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
Synonyms P. perfoliatus var. richardsonii, P. perfoliatus subsp. richardsonii P. gramineus var. maximus, P. gramineus var. myriophyllus
Name authority (A. Bennett) Rydberg: Bulletin of the Torrey Botanical Club 32: 599. (1905) Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 127. 1753 (as gramineum)
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