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

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

closed-leaf pondweed, leafy pondweed

Rhizomes

absent.

absent.

Cauline stems

terete, without spots, 27–95 cm;

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

slightly compressed, without spots, 4–75 cm;

glands rarely present, black to gold, to 0.5 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.

uncommon, lateral or terminal, 0.9–2.5 cm × 0.6–2 mm, soft;

outer leaves 1–3 per side, base not corrugate, apex acute to apiculate;

inner leaves rolled into hardened fusiform structure.

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).

submersed, ± spirally arranged, sessile, delicate;

stipules persistent, inconspicuous, convolute, free from blade, greenish to brown or rarely white, not ligulate, 0.2–2.2 cm, delicate to fibrous, rarely shredding at tip, apex obtuse;

blade pale green to olive-green, rarely somewhat reddish, linear, not arcuate, 1.3–8.2 cm × 0.3–2.3 mm, base slightly tapering, without basal lobes, not clasping, margins entire, not crispate, apex not hoodlike, acute to apiculate, rarely with bristle, lacunae rarely present, 0–2 rows each side of midrib;

veins 1–3(–5).

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.

unbranched, emersed;

peduncles not dimorphic, in axils of proximal, rarely distal leaves, recurved, clavate, 0.3–1.1(–3.7) cm;

spikes not dimorphic, capitate to cylindric, 1.5–7 mm.

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.

pale green to olive-green or brown, obovate to nearly orbicular, turgid to concave, sessile, abaxially keeled, not laterally keeled, 1.4–2.7 × 1.1–2.2 mm, abaxial keel undulate, winglike;

beak erect, 0.2–0.6 mm;

sides without basal tubercles;

embryo with 1 full spiral.

2n

= 26.

Potamogeton strictifolius

Potamogeton foliosus

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
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AK; AL; AR; AZ; CA; CO; CT; DC; DE; FL; GA; IA; ID; IL; IN; KS; KY; LA; MA; MD; ME; MI; MN; MO; MS; MT; NC; ND; NE; NH; NJ; NM; NV; NY; OH; OK; OR; PA; RI; SC; SD; TN; TX; UT; VA; VT; WA; WI; WV; WY; AB; BC; MB; NB; NS; NT; ON; PE; QC; SK; YT; Central America
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
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.)

Subspecies 2 (2 in the flora).

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

Key
1. Spike rarely interrupted; fruits olive to green-brown, 1.5–2.7 × 1.2–2.2 mm; keel 0.2 mm or more high; beak 0.2–0.6 mm; stipular veins decaying with age.
subsp. foliosus
1. Spike interrupted; fruits pale green, 1.4–1.7 × 1.1–1.2 mm; keel less than 0.2 mm high; beak 0.2 or less; stipular veins with age remaining as fibers
subsp. fibrillosus
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. richardsonii, P. robbinsii, P. spirillus, 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. 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. subsibiricus, P. tennesseensis, P. vaseyi, P. zosteriformis
Subordinate taxa
P. foliosus subsp. fibrillosus, P. foliosus subsp. foliosus
Synonyms P. strictifolius var. rutiloides
Name authority A. Bennett: J. Bot. 40: 148. (1902) Rafinesque: Medical Repository hexade 2, 5:354. (1808)
Web links