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

alpine pondweed, northern pondweed, potamot alpin, reddish pondweed

Cauline stems

compressed-filiform, without spots, to 50 cm;

glands white, 0.3–0.5 mm diam.

terete, without spots, to 200 cm;

nodal glands absent.

Turions

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.

absent.

Leaves

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.

submersed and floating or floating absent, ± spirally arranged.

Floating leaves

petioles continuous in color to apex, 0.1–1.2 cm;

blade reddish green, elliptic or oblanceolate to obovate or oblong-linear, 4–7(–10) cm × 10–25(–40) mm, base gradually tapering into petiole, apex obtuse or acute;

veins (7–)9–13(–15).

Submersed leaves

sessile, lax;

stipules persistent, inconspicuous, convolute, free from blade, light brown to reddish, not ligulate, (1.2–)1.5–2.5(–4) cm, not fibrous, not shredding at tip, apex blunt;

blade reddish green, oblong-linear to linear-lanceolate, not arcuate, 4.5–18(–25) cm × 5–20 mm, base rounded, without basal lobes, slightly clasping, margins entire, not crispate, apex not hoodlike, obtuse or acute, lacunae in 0–6 rows each side of midvein;

veins 7–9.

Inflorescences

unbranched, emersed;

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

spikes not dimorphic, cylindric, 10–30 mm.

unbranched, emersed;

peduncles not dimorphic, terminal or axillary, erect, cylindric, 3–10(–16) cm;

spikes not dimorphic, cylindric, 10–35 mm.

Fruits

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.

pedicellate, tawny olive-green, obovoid, plump, turgid, abaxially keeled, laterally keeled or not, (2.5–)3–3.5 × (1.7–)2–2.4 mm, lateral keels when present without points;

beak abaxially curved, 0.5–0.9 mm;

sides without basal tubercles;

embryo with 1 full spiral.

Rhizome

absent.

present.

2n

= 52.

Potamogeton subsibiricus

Potamogeton alpinus

Phenology Fruiting early summer–late summer. Flowering early summer–fall.
Habitat Shallow water of ponds and lakes Ponds, lakes, and slow-moving streams
Elevation 0–915 m (0–3000 ft) 400–2500 m (1300–8200 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AK; MB; NT; NU; ON; QC; YT; Siberia
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AK; CA; CO; ID; MA; ME; MI; MN; MT; NH; NJ; NV; NY; OR; PA; SD; UT; VT; WA; WI; WY; AB; BC; MB; NB; NL; NS; NT; NU; ON; PE; QC; SK; YT; Greenland; Europe; Asia Eurasia
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Plants of Potamogeton alpinus often are red whenever taken from the water, a feature that makes this species quite distinctive.

Two varieties, Potamogeton alpinus var. tenuifolius and var. subellipticus, have been recognized in North America, based mainly on submersed leaf shape. Plants bearing both leaf types have been observed in the same population; hence the varieties are not recognized.

Four hybrids, Potamogeton alpinus × P. nodosus (= P. ×subobtusus Hagström), P. alpinus × P. gramineus (= P. xnericius Hagström), P. alpinus × P. praelongus (= P. ×griffithii A. Bennett), and P. alpinus × P. perfoliatus (= P. ×prussicus Hagström), 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. richardsonii, P. robbinsii, P. spirillus, P. strictifolius, P. tennesseensis, P. vaseyi, P. zosteriformis
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. subsibiricus, P. tennesseensis, P. vaseyi, P. zosteriformis
Synonyms P. porsildiorum P. alpinus subsp. tenuifolius, P. alpinus var. subellipticus, P. alpinus var. tenuifolius, P. tenuifolius, P. tenuifolius var. subellipticus
Name authority Hagström: Kongl. Svenska Vetenskapsakademiens Handlingar n.s. 44:555(5):84. (1916) Balbis: Misc. Bot. 13. (1804)
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