Potamogeton tennesseensis |
Potamogeton illinoensis |
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Tennessee pondweed |
Illinois pondweed, pondweed, potamot de i'Illinois, shining pondweed |
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Rhizomes | present. |
present. |
Cauline stems | terete, without spots, 10–35 cm; glands absent. |
terete, without spots, 28–120 cm; nodal glands absent. |
Turions | absent. |
absent. |
Leaves | both submersed and floating or floating absent, ± spirally arranged. |
both submersed and floating or the floating absent, ± spirally arranged. |
Floating leaves | petiolate; petioles continuous in color to apex, 2.5–6 cm; blade greenish brown adaxially, lance-oblong, 2–4(–5.5) cm × 5–13 mm, base acute, apex acute; veins 9–23. |
petioles continuous in color to apex, 2–9 cm; blade adaxially light green, elliptic to oblong-elliptic, 4–19 cm × 20–65 mm, base cuneate, apex round-mucronate; veins 13–29. |
Submersed leaves | sessile, lax; stipules persistent, inconspicuous, convolute, adnate to blade for ¼ or less stipule length, light brown to dark green, ligulate, 0.5–1.5 cm, not fibrous, not shredding at tip, apex acute; blade red-brown to dark green, linear-filiform, not arcuate, 2.5–10.5 cm × 0.2–1(–2) mm, base slightly tapering, not clasping, without basal lobes, margins entire, not crispate, apex not hoodlike, long tapering, lacunae abundant, broad, filling area between margin and midvein; veins 1–3. |
sessile or petiolate, lax; stipules persistent, conspicuous, convolute, free from blade, light brown to red-brown, not ligulate, 1–8 cm, not fibrous, not shredding at tip, apex acuminate; petioles if present 0.5–4 cm; blade red-brown to light green, elliptic to lanceolate or rarely linear, often arcuate, 5–20 cm × 2–45 mm, base acute, margins entire, often crispate, apex not hoodlike, acute-mucronate, lacunae in 2–5 rows each side midrib; veins 7–19. |
Inflorescences | unbranched, emersed; peduncle not dimorphic, axillary, ascending, cylindric, 3–8 cm; spikes not dimorphic, cylindric, 10–22 mm. |
emersed, unbranched; peduncles not dimorphic, terminal or axillary, erect to ascending, cylindric, 4–30 cm; spikes not dimorphic, cylindric, 25–70 mm. |
Fruits | sessile, greenish brown, quadrate-orbicular, slightly compressed, abaxially keeled, laterally ridged, 2.5–3 × 2–2.5 mm; lateral ridges without points; beak present, erect, 0.5 mm; sides without basal tubercles; embryo with less than 1 full spiral. |
sessile, grayish green to olive green, obovoid to ovoid, laterally compressed, abaxially keeled, laterally ridged, 2.5–3.6 × 2.1–3 mm, abaxial keel well developed, lateral ridges without points; beak erect to slightly recurved, 0.5–0.8 mm; sides without basal tubercles; embryo with 1 full spiral. |
2n | = 104. |
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Potamogeton tennesseensis |
Potamogeton illinoensis |
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Phenology | Flowering mid spring–fall. | Flowering and fruiting summer–fall. |
Habitat | Slow- to fast-moving streams and rivers | Alkaline waters of streams, rivers, lakes, ponds, and sloughs |
Elevation | 200–1000 m (700–3300 ft) | 0–2700 m (0–8900 ft) |
Distribution |
KY; MD; NC; OH; PA; TN; VA; WV |
AL; AR; CA; CO; CT; FL; GA; IA; IL; IN; KS; KY; MA; MD; MI; MN; MO; MT; NC; NE; NH; NJ; NY; OH; OK; OR; PA; SC; SD; TX; UT; VA; VT; WA; WI; WV; WY; BC; MB; NB; NT; ON; QC; Mexico; Central America; South America; West Indies
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Discussion | No specimens have been seen from Maryland although the species is to be expected there. Of conservation concern. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Potamogeton illinoensis and P. gramineus are often difficult to separate. Certainly, in the extreme of each they are easily separated, but they continually grade into each other. Features to look for are the acute-mucronate apex of the submersed leaves of P. illinoensis and the acuminate apex for P. gramineus. Also, the number of veins seems to work as well. Three hybrids, Potamogeton illinoensis × P. nodosus (= P. × faxonii Morong), P. amplifolius × P. illinoensis (= P. × scoliophyllus Hagström), and P. gramineus × P. illinoensis [= P. × spathuliformis (J. W. Robbins) Morong], have been described. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 22. | FNA vol. 22. |
Parent taxa | ||
Sibling taxa | ||
Name authority | Fernald: Rhodora 38: 167, plate 412. (1936) | Morong: Botanical Gazette 5: 50. (1880) |
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