Potamogeton zosteriformis

Illustrator: John Myers

Copyright: Flora of North America Association

Rhizomes absent. Cauline stems conspicuously flattened ("wing-flattened"), without spots, 60–120 cm; glands absent or rarely present, when present, gold, 0.3 mm diam. Turions common, terminal or lateral, 4–7.5 × 2–4.5 cm, firm; leaves ± 2-ranked; outer leaves 3–4 per side, base not corrugate, apex acute; inner leaves undifferentiated. Leaves submersed, ± spirally arranged, sessile, rigid; stipules persistent, conspicuous, convolute, free from blade, white, not ligulate, 1.5–3.5 cm, fibrous, shredding at tip, apex obtuse to acuminate; blade light green, linear, not arcuate, 10–20 cm × 2–5 mm, base rounded, without basal lobes, not clasping, margins entire, not crispate, apex not hoodlike, blunt, acuminate, or bristle-tipped, lacunae absent; veins 15–35. Inflorescences unbranched, emersed; peduncles not dimorphic, terminal, erect to ascending, occasionally recurved, cylindric, 2–5 cm; spikes not dimorphic, cylindric, 15–30 mm. Fruits light green to olive-green, quadrate-oblong or nearly orbicular, turgid, sessile, with abaxially keeled, not laterally keeled, 4–5 × 3–3.5 mm, keel winglike; beak erect, 0.6–1 mm; sides without basal tubercles; embryo with 1 full spiral. 2n = 52.

Phenology: Flowering summer–fall.
Habitat: Lakes, ponds, and slow streams
Elevation: 0–15003000 m

Distribution

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• Legacy Map

Alta., B.C., Man., N.B., Nfld. and Labr. (Nfld.), N.W.T., N.S., Ont., P.E.I., Que., Sask., Yukon, Alaska, Calif., Conn., Idaho, Ill., Ind., Iowa, Kans., Maine, Mass., Mich., Minn., Mont., Nebr., Nev., N.H., N.J., N.Y., N.Dak., Ohio, Oreg., Pa., S.Dak., Utah, Vt., Wash., Wis., Wyo.

Discussion

One hybrid, Potamogeton zosteriformis × P. strictifolius, has been described and has been given the name P. ×haynesii Hellquist & G. E. Crow and is known from northern Michigan, Minnesota, Vermont, and southern Canada.

Selected References

Hellquist, C. B. and G. E. Crow. 1986. Potamogeton ´ haynesii (Potamogetonaceae), a new species from northeastern North America. Brittonia 38: 415--419.

Lower Taxa

None.