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

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

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

Cauline stems

terete, without spots, to 100 cm;

nodal glands absent.

compressed-filiform, without spots, to 50 cm;

glands white, 0.3–0.5 mm diam.

Turions

absent.

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, 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.

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

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.

unbranched, emersed;

peduncles not dimorphic, axillary, erect, cylindric, 1.7–3.5 cm;

spikes not dimorphic, cylindric, 10–30 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, 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

present.

absent.

2n

= 52.

Potamogeton richardsonii

Potamogeton subsibiricus

Phenology Flowering summer–fall. Fruiting early summer–late summer.
Habitat Alkaline waters of lakes, streams, and rivers Shallow water of ponds and lakes
Elevation 0–3000 m (0–9800 ft) 0–915 m (0–3000 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; MB; NT; NU; ON; QC; YT; Siberia
[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.)

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. 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. perfoliatus var. richardsonii, P. perfoliatus subsp. richardsonii P. porsildiorum
Name authority (A. Bennett) Rydberg: Bulletin of the Torrey Botanical Club 32: 599. (1905) Hagström: Kongl. Svenska Vetenskapsakademiens Handlingar n.s. 44:555(5):84. (1916)
Web links