Myriophyllum verticillatum

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Myriophyllum verticillatum
Myriophyllum verticillatum.jpeg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Saxifragales
Family: Haloragaceae
Genus: Myriophyllum
Species:
M. verticillatum
Binomial name
Myriophyllum verticillatum
L.

Myriophyllum verticillatum, the whorl-leaf watermilfoil [1] or whorled water-milfoil, [2] is a native to much of North America, North Africa, and Eurasia. It closely resembles another native milfoil, called northern water milfoil (M. sibiricum) [3] Whorled water milfoil is also easily confused with four types of invasive milfoils: Eurasian water milfoil (M. spicatum), Variable water-milfoil (M. heterophyllum), Parrot feather (M. aquaticum), and hybrid water milfoil (M. heterophyllum X M. laxum).

Contents

In many areas it is an invasive aquatic plant.

With the increase in water sports, the spread of many water milfoils (Haloragaceae) has increased over the years. The spread of a milfoil is not only within one area, sometimes it spreads from one area to another many miles away.

To the untrained eye, whorled water milfoil can look similar to other species.

Description and identification

The best way to identify whorled water milfoil (M. verticillatum) is by looking at its two different types of leaves. The first type is the submerged leaf, which looks feathery and contains about 5 to 14 leaflet pairs per leaf. The whorls along the stem contain about 4 to 5 leaves, which are spaced about 1 cm apart. The other type is known as the emergent leaves. These leaves occur on the emergent spike and are pinnately lobed. From June till September whorled water milfoil produces flowers and fruits above or at the water's surface on erect spikes along the emergent leaves. The emergent leaves are typically two or more times longer than the flowers and fruits. [4]

Another way to distinguish whorled water milfoil is to look for turions, winter buds that appear toward the end of its growing season. This milfoil is one of a few that produce turions. This characteristic can also rule out other types of water milfoil that lack turions such as Eurasian water milfoil, parrot feather, hybrid water milfoil, and low water milfoil. The turions of this milfoil look like long yellowish-green club-shaped buds with small stiff leaves attached to the submerged stem. In the spring after dormancy the small, thick, dark green turions expand and grow from the stem. As the plant develops roots and continues to grow, the larger green summer leaves are produced at the tip of the plant. Turion leaves can be seen at the base of the plant sometimes into July. [5] In fall the turions, with some other plant material, often break away from the majority of the rooted plant and float to new areas. Those fragments can be found washing up along shorelines in late fall. The stems of the whorled water milfoil form into mats from branched and unbranched stems that grow to be 20 to 100 inches long.[ citation needed ]

Habitat

Most whorled water milfoil occurs in semi-shallow ponds, lakes, marshes, ditches and slow running streams of lowland districts [6] Milfoil thrives in areas with a light sandy bottom and medium loamy soils. Overall, the plant grows best in still waters with alkaline soils. [7] Whorled water milfoil is sometimes found with or near other aquatic plants, such as some types of pondweed ( Potamogeton strictifolius ) and ( Potamogeton ogdenii ), water star-grass ( Heteranthera dubia ) and water-marigold ( Megalodonta beckii ). [8]

Distribution

It is native in much of North America, the United Kingdom, Asia, and North Africa, and invasive to Ireland.[ citation needed ]

Propagation and reproduction

Whorled water-milfoil reproduces by producing turions between September and November each year. These over-wintering turions sink to the bottom of the floor where they remain dormant until February [Caffrey, 2006]. These fragments will give rise to numerous small thin roots that bed into soil to start growing in spring. The plants are monoecious (individual flowers are either male or female, but both sexes can be found on the same plant) and are pollinated by wind.[ citation needed ]

Control and uses

Whorled water milfoil is a good water oxygenator in small quantities such as fish and frog ponds. It is also ideal in providing protection and respiration for fish spawn [7] Management techniques of whorled water milfoil are not exactly known, but natural competition with other invasive aquatic plants has been the main control so far. [9] There are a few management practices that some places are using, but they have not been approved for long-term usage.[ citation needed ]

Related Research Articles

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<i>Aldrovanda vesiculosa</i> Species of plant (waterwheel plant)

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<i>Myriophyllum</i> Genus of flowering plants in the water milfoil family Haloragaceae

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<i>Myriophyllum spicatum</i> Species of flowering plant in the family Haloragaceae

Myriophyllum spicatum is native to Europe, Asia, and north Africa, but has a wide geographic and climatic distribution among some 57 countries, extending from northern Canada to South Africa. It is a submerged aquatic plant, grows in still or slow-moving water, and is considered to be a highly invasive species.

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<i>Potamogeton crispus</i> Species of aquatic plant

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<i>Myriophyllum sibiricum</i> Species of flowering plant in the family Haloragaceae

Myriophyllum sibiricum is a species of water milfoil known by the common names shortspike watermilfoil, northern watermilfoil, and Siberian water-milfoil. It is native to Russia, China, and much of North America, where it grows in aquatic habitat such as ponds and streams. It generally grows over a meter long, its green stem drying white. It is lined with whorls of fanlike green leaves divided into many narrow, feathery lobes.

<i>Potamogeton pusillus</i> Species of aquatic plant

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.

<i>Potamogeton compressus</i> Species of aquatic plant

Potamogeton compressus is a species of aquatic plant known by the common names grass-wrack pondweed, flatstem pondweed and eel-grass pondweed.

<i>Potamogeton obtusifolius</i> Species of aquatic plant

Potamogeton obtusifolius, known as blunt-leaved pondweed, is an aquatic plant in the genus Potamogeton. It grows mainly in mesotrophic to eutrophic lakes, ponds and ditches, rarely in brackish water. It occurs primarily in Central Europe, the British Isles, Fennoscandia and eastern North America.

<i>Myriophyllum alterniflorum</i> Species of flowering plant in the family Haloragaceae

Myriophyllum alterniflorum, known as alternate water-milfoil or alternateflower watermilfoil, is a species of water-milfoil. It is native to Europe and Asia,has been introduced to North America and inhabits aquatic habitat, such as ponds and streams.

<i>Myriophyllum indicum</i> Species of flowering plant in the family Haloragaceae

Myriophyllum indicum is a species of water milfoil. It is native to India, where it grows in aquatic habitat such as ponds and streams. It generally grows over a meter long, with its stem lined with whorls of fleshy green leaves divided into many narrow lobes.

<i>Potamogeton trichoides</i> Species of aquatic plant

Potamogeton trichoides is a species of aquatic plant known by the common name hairlike pondweed, native to Europe and western Asia where it grows in calcareous, usually nutrient-rich standing or slow-flowing water.

<i>Myriophyllum variifolium</i> Species of flowering plant in the family Haloragaceae

Myriophyllum variifolium is a species of water milfoil native to eastern Australia where it grows in aquatic habitat such as ponds and streams.

References

  1. USDA, NRCS (n.d.). "Myriophyllum verticillatum". The PLANTS Database (plants.usda.gov). Greensboro, North Carolina: National Plant Data Team. Retrieved 15 June 2015.
  2. BSBI List 2007 (xls). Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland. Archived from the original (xls) on 2015-06-26. Retrieved 2014-10-17.
  3. Comb Water-Milfoil, Myriophyllum verticillatum, Massachusetts Division of fisheries & Wildlife, viewed on May 2009.
  4. Wisconsin Department of Natural resources, Native Water-milfoils, viewed on March 2009
  5. Wisconsin Department of Natural resources, Native Water-milfoils, viewed on March 2009.
  6. Plants For A Future, Myriophyllum verticillatum, viewed on March 2009. [ permanent dead link ]
  7. 1 2 Whorled Leaf Water Milfoil, viewed on March 2009.
  8. USGS, Western Wetland Flora: Whorled water-milfoil, viewed on March 2009.
  9. 1