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narrowleaf pondweed, potamot à feuilles raides, stiff-leaf pondweed, straight-leaf pondweed

Rhizomes

absent.

Cauline stems

terete, without spots, 27–95 cm;

glands white, green, greenish brown, or gold, to 0.3 mm diam.

Turions

terminal or lateral, common, 2.5–4.8 cm × 0.8–2.2 mm, soft;

leaves ± 2-ranked, flattened with outer and inner leaves in same plane;

outer leaves 3–4 per side, base not corrugate, or rarely corrugate, apex acute;

inner leaves undifferentiated.

Leaves

submersed, ± spirally arranged, rigid, sessile;

stipules disintegrating, inconspicuous, connate, free from blade, white, not ligulate, 0.6–1.6 cm, fibrous, shredding at tip, apex obtuse;

blade green to olive-green, linear, not arcuate, 1.2–6.3 cm × 0.6–2 mm, base slightly tapering, without basal lobes, not clasping, margins entire, not crispate, apex not hoodlike, acute to nearly bristle-tipped, rarely obtuse to apiculate, lacunae absent;

veins 3–5(–7).

Inflorescences

unbranched, emersed;

peduncles not dimorphic, terminal, erect, rarely recurved, cylindric, rarely slightly clavate, 1–4.5 cm;

spike not dimorphic, cylindric, 0.6–1.3 cm.

Fruits

sessile, green-brown, ovoid, turgid, not abaxially or laterally keeled, 1.9–2.1 × 1.3–1.8 mm;

beak erect, 0.5–0.8 mm;

sides without basal tubercles;

embryo with 1 full spiral.

2n

= 26.

Potamogeton strictifolius

Phenology Flowering and fruiting summer–fall.
Habitat Alkaline waters of lakes and slow-moving streams
Elevation 50–2000 m (200–6600 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CT; IL; IN; MA; ME; MI; MN; ND; NE; NY; OH; PA; SD; UT; VA; VT; WI; WY; AB; MB; NB; ON; QC; SK; YT
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Discussion

Potamogeton strictifolius is a relatively uncommon species found in alkaline waters. Fairly rigid leaves of the species make floating onto paper unnecessary in the collecting process. The leaves have a tendency to become revolute during the growing season. The species superficially resembles several other species of linear-leaved pondweeds. Consequently, many specimens of this species have been misidentified as other species and vice versa. Thus, literature records are often suspect.

One hybrid, Potamogeton strictifolius × P. zosteriformis (= P. × haynesii Hellquist & G. E. Crow), has been described.

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

Source FNA vol. 22.
Parent taxa 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. richardsonii, P. robbinsii, P. spirillus, P. subsibiricus, P. tennesseensis, P. vaseyi, P. zosteriformis
Synonyms P. strictifolius var. rutiloides
Name authority A. Bennett: J. Bot. 40: 148. (1902)
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