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Lesser Pondweed

Potamogeton pusillus L.

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Three hybrids, Potamogeton perfoliatus ´ P. pusillus (= P. ´ mysticus Morong), P. friesii ´ P. pusillus (= P. ´ pusilliformis Fisher [P. ´ intermedius Fischer]), and P. obtusifolius ´ P. pusillus (= P. ´ saxonicus Hagström), have been described.
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Missouri Botanical Garden, 4344 Shaw Boulevard, St. Louis, MO, 63110 USA
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Flora of North America Vol. 22 in eFloras.org, Missouri Botanical Garden. Accessed Nov 12, 2008.
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Flora of North America Editorial Committee
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Description

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Aquatic, perennating with axillary winter-buds. Stem filiform, c. (0.5-) 1 mm broad, branched. Leaves submerged, sessile, linear, 1-2 mm broad, tip tapering or rounded, 3(-5)-veined, midrib without lacunae. Stipules free, 6-8 mm long, 2 mm broad, ovate, acute, entire, membranous, tubular towards the base. Peduncles 1.2-3 cm long; spikes 5 mm long, few flowered, with 2-4, distant whorls. Perianth segments 1-1.5 mm long, 1-2 mm broad, broadly obtuse. Fruitlets c. 2 mm long, 1-1.5 mm broad, obovoid.
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Missouri Botanical Garden, 4344 Shaw Boulevard, St. Louis, MO, 63110 USA
bibliographic citation
Flora of Pakistan Vol. 0: 9 in eFloras.org, Missouri Botanical Garden. Accessed Nov 12, 2008.
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Flora of Pakistan @ eFloras.org
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S. I. Ali & M. Qaiser
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Description

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Rhizomes absent. Cauline stems terete to slightly compressed, without spots, 18--150 cm; glands present on at least some nodes, green, gold, brown, or rarely white, to 0.5 mm diam. Turions common, soft, lateral or terminal, 0.9--3.2 cm ´ 0.3--1.8 mm, soft; leaves ± 2-ranked; outer leaves 1--3 per side, base not corrugate, apex subulate to obtuse; inner leaves rolled into hardened fusiform structure. Leaves submersed, ± spirally arranged, sessile, delicate to coarse; stipules persistent, inconspicuous, connate or convolute, free from base of blade, brown to green or white, not ligulate, 0.31--0.92 cm, rarely appearing fibrous, not shredding at tip, apex obtuse; blade pale green to olive-green, rarely somewhat reddish, linear, not arcuate, 0.9--6.5 cm ´ 0.2--2.5 mm, base slightly tapering, without basal lobes, not clasping, margins entire, not crispate, apex not hoodlike, subulate to obtuse, lacunae absent or present, in 0--5 rows each side of midrib; veins 1--3(--5). Inflorescences unbranched, submersed or emersed; peduncles not dimorphic, axillary or terminal, erect, rarely recurved, filiform to slightly clavate, 0.5--6.2(--6.6) cm; spikes not dimorphic, capitate to cylindric, 1.5--10.1 mm. Fruits sessile, green to brown, ovoid to obovoid, turgid to concave, not abaxially or laterally keeled, 1.5--2.2 ´ 1.2--1.6 mm; beak erect, 0.1--0.6; sides without basal tubercles; embryo with less than 1 full spiral.
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cc-by-nc-sa-3.0
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Missouri Botanical Garden, 4344 Shaw Boulevard, St. Louis, MO, 63110 USA
bibliographic citation
Flora of North America Vol. 22 in eFloras.org, Missouri Botanical Garden. Accessed Nov 12, 2008.
source
Flora of North America @ eFloras.org
editor
Flora of North America Editorial Committee
project
eFloras.org
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eFloras

Distribution

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Europe, Afriea, temperate Asia, N. Ameriea.
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Missouri Botanical Garden, 4344 Shaw Boulevard, St. Louis, MO, 63110 USA
bibliographic citation
Annotated Checklist of the Flowering Plants of Nepal Vol. 0 in eFloras.org, Missouri Botanical Garden. Accessed Nov 12, 2008.
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Annotated Checklist of the Flowering Plants of Nepal @ eFloras.org
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K.K. Shrestha, J.R. Press and D.A. Sutton
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Distribution

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Distribution: Europe, temperate Asia, Africa and N. America.
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cc-by-nc-sa-3.0
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Missouri Botanical Garden, 4344 Shaw Boulevard, St. Louis, MO, 63110 USA
bibliographic citation
Flora of Pakistan Vol. 0: 9 in eFloras.org, Missouri Botanical Garden. Accessed Nov 12, 2008.
source
Flora of Pakistan @ eFloras.org
editor
S. I. Ali & M. Qaiser
project
eFloras.org
original
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eFloras

Elevation Range

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2100-3000 m
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Missouri Botanical Garden, 4344 Shaw Boulevard, St. Louis, MO, 63110 USA
bibliographic citation
Annotated Checklist of the Flowering Plants of Nepal Vol. 0 in eFloras.org, Missouri Botanical Garden. Accessed Nov 12, 2008.
source
Annotated Checklist of the Flowering Plants of Nepal @ eFloras.org
author
K.K. Shrestha, J.R. Press and D.A. Sutton
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eFloras.org
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eFloras

Flower/Fruit

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Fl. Per.: June July.
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Missouri Botanical Garden, 4344 Shaw Boulevard, St. Louis, MO, 63110 USA
bibliographic citation
Flora of Pakistan Vol. 0: 9 in eFloras.org, Missouri Botanical Garden. Accessed Nov 12, 2008.
source
Flora of Pakistan @ eFloras.org
editor
S. I. Ali & M. Qaiser
project
eFloras.org
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eFloras

Derivation of specific name

provided by Flora of Zimbabwe
pusillus: insignificant, small, weak
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Mark Hyde, Bart Wursten and Petra Ballings
bibliographic citation
Hyde, M.A., Wursten, B.T. and Ballings, P. (2002-2014). Potamogeton pusillus L. Flora of Zimbabwe website. Accessed 28 August 2014 at http://www.zimbabweflora.co.zw/speciesdata/species.php?species_id=103080
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Mark Hyde
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Bart Wursten
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Petra Ballings
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Flora of Zimbabwe

Description

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Submerged herb, with stems up to 1 m. Rhizome 0 or poorly developed. Stipular sheaths 6-17 mm, tubular, splitting later. Leaves c.20-40 × 1-2 mm, linear, all submerged, firm and translucent; apex obtuse, with 2 lateral longitudinal veins joining the midrib abruptly near the tip at unequal heights. Lacunar system 0 or sometimes a very narrow dense band flanking the midrib. Spikes usually shorter than leaves; flowers 2-4 per whorl with up to 4 whorls per spike. Drupe 2-2.5 mm, obovoid, smooth; beak short and straight.
license
cc-by-nc
copyright
Mark Hyde, Bart Wursten and Petra Ballings
bibliographic citation
Hyde, M.A., Wursten, B.T. and Ballings, P. (2002-2014). Potamogeton pusillus L. Flora of Zimbabwe website. Accessed 28 August 2014 at http://www.zimbabweflora.co.zw/speciesdata/species.php?species_id=103080
author
Mark Hyde
author
Bart Wursten
author
Petra Ballings
original
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Flora of Zimbabwe

Worldwide distribution

provided by Flora of Zimbabwe
Widespread in Africa, Europe, temperate Asia and North America. Less common in tropical America and Asia.
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cc-by-nc
copyright
Mark Hyde, Bart Wursten and Petra Ballings
bibliographic citation
Hyde, M.A., Wursten, B.T. and Ballings, P. (2002-2014). Potamogeton pusillus L. Flora of Zimbabwe website. Accessed 28 August 2014 at http://www.zimbabweflora.co.zw/speciesdata/species.php?species_id=103080
author
Mark Hyde
author
Bart Wursten
author
Petra Ballings
original
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Flora of Zimbabwe

Comprehensive Description

provided by North American Flora
Potamogeton pusillus I,. Sp. PL 127. 1753
Potamogeton pusillus vulgaris Fries, Novit. ed. 2. 48. 1828.
Potamogeton pusillus gemmiparus Robb. in A. Gray, Man. ed. 5. 489. 1867.
Potamogeton gemmiparus Morong, Bot. Gaz. 5 : 51. 1880. Potamogelon pusillus polyp hyllus Morong, Bot. Gaz. 5: 51. 1880.
Potamogeton pusillus panormitanus A. Benn. Jour. Bot. 19: 67. 1881. Potamogeton pusillus Sturrockii A. Benn. Jour. Bot. 21 : 279. 1883. Potamogeton pusillus elongatus A. Benn.; Macoun, Cat. Can. PI. 5: 371. 1890. Potamogeton pusillus capitatus A. Benn. Jour, Bot. 39 : 201. 1901. Potamogeton pusillus pseudo-rulilus A. Benn. Jour. Bot. 39: 201. 1901. Potamogelon strictifohus A. Benn. Jour. Bot. 40 : 148. 1902.
Stem slender, much branched, with propagating buds; leaves all submerged, linear or capillary, either slender and recurved or stiff and erect, 2-12 cm. long, 0.1-1.5 mm. wide, the apex obtuse, acute or mucronate, the base with 2 small glands ; primary nerves 1-3, often reticulated between, or the whole leaf apparently nerveless; stipules axillary and free from the leaf-bases, hyaline, 0.5-1.5 cm. long, the apex obtuse, or mucronate with the extreme tip aristate ; spikes cylindric and interrupted or capitate ; peduncles as thick as the stem or thinner, 1-5 cm. long, erect or recurved ; nutlets smooth or ultimately pitted, distinctly 3-keeled, or without keels and with 2 grooves on the back of the nutlet, the keels or edges of the grooves smooth ; style never exceeding 1 mm., straight or recurved; embryo a complete spiral, the curved apex pointing inside the base.
Type locality : Europe.
Distribution : Nova Scotia to British Columbia, south to Louisiana, southern California, and northern Mexico.
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bibliographic citation
Percy Wilson, Per Axel Rydberg, Norman Taylor, Nathaniel Lord Britton, John Kunkel Small, George Valentine Nash. 1909. PANDANALES-POALES; TYPHACEAE, SPARGANACEAE, ELODEACEAE, HYDROCHARITACEAE, ZANNICHELLIACEAE, ZOSTERACEAE, CYMODOCEACEAE, NAIADACEAE, LILAEACEAE, SCHEUCHZERIACEAE, ALISMACEAE, BUTOMACEAE, POACEAE (pars). North American flora. vol 17(1). New York Botanical Garden, New York, NY
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Potamogeton pusillus

provided by wikipedia EN

Potamogeton pusillus is a species of aquatic plant known by the common names small pondweed,[3] lesser pondweed[4] or least pondweed. It occurs in standing and slow-flowing freshwater habitats throughout the Northern Hemisphere.

Description

Lesser pondweed is a superficially grasslike herb producing a very slender, branching, somewhat compressed stem, usually less than 70 cm but occasionally up to one metre in length.[5] Nodal glands, if present, are generally poorly developed. The leaves are narrow and linear, translucent, mid or olive green, usually 20–50 mm long × 0.8-1.4 mm wide, but rarely up to 100 mm long and 1.9 mm wide. The midrib often lacks lacunae (transparent areas either side of the midrib) either side of it, and if present, lacunae are restricted to the lower half of the leaf.[5] There are no floating leaves. The stipules are tubular when young, but tend to split with age.[5]

Turions are produced, often in large quantities. In early autumn the entire plant disintegrates into a mass of turions, which act as a means of propagation and as an overwintering mechanism.

The inflorescence is a spike of 3-6 flowers arranged in interrupted whorls.

Like most fine-leaved pondweeds, Potamogeton pusillus is diploid, with 2n=26.[6]

Lesser pondweed can be difficult to distinguish reliably from other fine-leaved pondweeds, especially P. berchtoldii. Hybrids are recorded with Potamogeton octandrus (P. × apertus Miki), P. polygonus (P. × attenuatus Hagstr.), P. obtusifolius (P. × saxonicus Hagstr.), P. trichoides (P. × grovesii Dandy & G.Taylor), P. berchtoldii (P. × mucronulatus (G.Fisch.) Papch.), P. oxyphyllus (P. × orientalis Hagstr.).[2]

Taxonomy

Lesser pondweed was one of several pondweeds first named by Linnaeus in his Species Plantarum (1753). The specific epithet pusillus means 'small'.

This is one of a group of rather similar fine-leaved species that also includes P. berchtoldii, P. hillii and P. ochreatus.[7] These are quite morphologically variable plants, often with wide geographical and ecological ranges, which has resulted in a great deal of taxonomic confusion and an unusually large number of synonyms and invalid names (see the taxon box).

Distribution

Lesser pondweed is widely distributed globally, occurring across most of Europe (including Scandinavia) and North America.[8][9] It is reported from scattered locations in Central and Southeast Asia and is widespread in China.[10] It is also widespread in South America [1] and Africa.[10][1]

Ecology and conservation

Lesser pondweed grows in standing or slow-flowing water bodies such as ponds, lakes, ditches, slow-moving streams, and river backwaters. It is a lowland plant and requires calcareous water, with a marked preference for high nutrient levels, and may form extensive beds in favourable situations, growing with other nutrient-tolerant species such as Myriophyllum spicatum and Zannichellia palustris. It is tolerant of turbid water and is a good colonist, often exploiting temporary or disturbed habitats such as livestock drinking ponds, canals and ditches. In lakes it is very tolerant of eutrophication and the resulting competition from phytoplankton and periphyton, and is often one of the last submerged plants to disappear.

Globally, Potamogeton pusillus is listed as Least Concern.There is no evidence of local declines and in many areas it is probably increasing due to eutrophication of freshwater habitats.[11] In many parts of its range it is the commonest fine-leaved pondweed.

Flowering small pondweed in a ditch in Germany

Cultivation

Lesser pondweed should not be difficult to grow in a garden pond and its tolerance of poor water quality would be advantageous. However, it is not very ornamental.

References

  1. ^ a b c Lansdown, R.V. (2019). "Potamogeton pusillus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2019: e.T163982A120218868. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-2.RLTS.T163982A120218868.en. Retrieved 11 November 2021.
  2. ^ a b The Plant List: Potamogeton pusillus. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and Missouri Botanic Gardens. Accessed December 18, 2014
  3. ^ USDA, NRCS (n.d.). "Potamogeton pusillus". The PLANTS Database (plants.usda.gov). Greensboro, North Carolina: National Plant Data Team. Retrieved 13 October 2015.
  4. ^ BSBI List 2007 (xls). Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland. Archived from the original (xls) on 2015-06-26. Retrieved 2014-10-17.
  5. ^ a b c Preston C.D. (1995). Pondweeds of Great Britain and Ireland. BSBI Handbook No. 8. Botanical Society of the British Isles, London.
  6. ^ Kaplan Z., Jarolímová V., Fehrer J, 2013. Revision of chromosome numbers of Potamogetonaceae: a new basis for taxonomic and evolutionary implications. Preslia, 85, 421-482.
  7. ^ Lindqvist C., De Laet J., Haynes R.R., Aagesen L., Keener B.R., Albert V.A. 2006. Molecular phylogenetics of an aquatic plant lineage, Potamogetonaceae. Cladistics, 22, 568-588.
  8. ^ Naturhistorika riksmuseet (Sweden) Den virtuellen flora: spädnate Potamogeton pusillus L., northern hemisphere range map
  9. ^ Haynes R.R., Hellquist C.B. Flora of North America: Potamogetonaceae. Accessed 11 November 2014.
  10. ^ a b Guo Y., Haynes R.R., Hellquist C.B., Kaplan Z. 2010. Potamogeton. Flora of China, 23, 108-114.
  11. ^ Preston C.D., Pearman D.A., Dines T.D. 2002. New Atlas of the British and Irish Flora: An Atlas of the Vascular Plants of Britain, Ireland, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. Oxford University Press, Oxford.

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Potamogeton pusillus: Brief Summary

provided by wikipedia EN

Potamogeton pusillus is a species of aquatic plant known by the common names small pondweed, lesser pondweed or least pondweed. It occurs in standing and slow-flowing freshwater habitats throughout the Northern Hemisphere.

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