Potamogeton berchtoldii | |
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Shoots of P. berchtoldii growing with milfoil and water crowfoot in a pond | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Monocots |
Order: | Alismatales |
Family: | Potamogetonaceae |
Genus: | Potamogeton |
Species: | P. berchtoldii |
Binomial name | |
Potamogeton berchtoldii Fieber [1] | |
Synonyms | |
Potamogeton fieberiRouyPotamogeton groenlandicusHagstr.Potamogeton lacunatusHagstr. Contents |
Potamogeton berchtoldii, common name small pondweed [2] is an aquatic plant.
Small pondweed is a fine-leaved pondweeds with a bushy habit. It lacks a perennial rhizome and the plants die back in winter into a large number of resting buds known as turions. The stems are very slender and do not usually exceed 60 cm. [2] The leaves are flat, usually 25–50 mm long, and less than 2 mm wide, usually with a broad band of lacunae along each side of the midrib and coloured pale green, olive green or brownish green. [2] The open stipules and shining nodal glands can be important characters in identification.
Small pondweed is similar to several other Potamogeton species, especially P. pusillus, and use of a good key such as Preston (1995) is strongly recommended. It could also be confused with P. trichoides and P. obtusifolius.
Small pondweed was first named by the German botanist Franz Xaver Fieber in 1838. [3] It is named after the 19th century Czech botanist Friedrich von Berchtold. [4]
This is one of a group of rather similar fine-leaved species that also includes P. pusillus , P. hillii and P. ochreatus. [5] Some authors consider it a form of P. pusillus. [6]
Subspecies include: [7]
Hybrids have been described with P. trichoides (P. × franconicusG.Fisch.), P. pusillus (P. × mucronulatus(G.Fisch.) Papch.), P. natans, P. polygonifolius, P. coloratus (P. × lanceolatusSm.), P. perfoliatus (P. × mysticusMorong), P. natans (P. × variifoliusThore), and P. acutifolius (P. × sudermanicusHagstr.), but all are rare. [2] [3]
Potamogeton berchtoldii is native to Europe (including Britain, Ireland, continental Europe, Scandinavia), the Middle East, North America (Canada, USA), Asia (Bhutan, China, Japan, Kazakhstan, Korea, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Russia, Uzbekistan), Asia Minor and the Middle East (Iraq, Iran, Turkey). [1] [9] [10]
Potamogeton berchtoldii has a wide ecological tolerance, [11] growing in lakes, ponds, ditches, slow-flowing streams and rivers, temporary pools and sometimes appearing in artificial environments such as cattle troughs. [2] It is a good colonist and may quickly exploit new environments. [12] [13] The production of large numbers of both turions and seed likely allows it to quickly exploit new or disturbed environments, but in stable environments it is likely to be outcompeted by more robust plants.
In Britain, small pondweed is common and widespread. [11] It is probably under-recorded due to its relatively small size and confusion with P. pusillus.
Although it does not occur in very acid environments, small pondweed is otherwise tolerant of a wide range of water chemistry and seems able to survive in eutrophic conditions. However, it is less tolerant of high nutrient levels than the related and very similar P. pusillus. It is the only British fine-leaved pondweed likely to be encountered in oligotrophic lakes, where it generally grows in deeper water with Isoetes and Nitella spp.
Small pondweed is not in cultivation, though it is likely to spontaneously colonise new ponds, probably via waterfowl. It is unlikely to persist for long in this environment, however, unless competing plants are regularly cleared. Its small stature and noninvasive habit make it suitable for growing in a pond or aquarium.
Potamogeton is a genus of aquatic, mostly freshwater, plants of the family Potamogetonaceae. Most are known by the common name pondweed, although many unrelated plants may be called pondweed, such as Canadian pondweed. The genus name means "river neighbor", originating from the Greek potamos (river) and geiton (neighbor).
Potamogeton crispus, the crisp-leaved pondweed, curly pondweed, curly-leaf pondweed or curled pondweed, is a species of aquatic plant (hydrophyte) native to Eurasia but an introduced species and often a noxious weed in North America.
Potamogeton natans, commonly known as broad-leaved pondweed, floating pondweed, or floating-leaf pondweed, is an aquatic species in the genus Potamogeton native to quiet or slow-flowing freshwater habitats throughout the Holarctic Kingdom.
Potamogeton perfoliatus is a perennial aquatic plant in the family Potamogetonaceae occurring in both standing and flowing freshwater habitats. It is widely distributed globally, occurring in all continents except South America and Antarctica.
Potamogeton praelongus, commonly known as whitestem pondweed in North America and long-stalked pondweed in Britain, is a large, perennial aquatic plant in the family Potamogetonaceae. It is widely distributed in lakes and rivers in the northern hemisphere, but is sensitive to poor water quality.
Potamogeton polygonifolius or bog pondweed, is an aquatic plant. It is found in shallow, nutrient-poor, usually acid standing or running water, bogs, fens and occasionally ditches.
Potamogeton coloratus, the fen pondweed, is an aquatic plant in the genus Potamogeton. It is found in shallow peaty calcareous lakes, ponds and ditches, commonly associated with lowland fens.
Potamogeton lucens, or shining pondweed, is an aquatic perennial plant native to Eurasia and North Africa. It grows in relatively deep, still or slow-flowing, calcareous freshwater habitats.
Potamogeton alpinus is a species of perennial aquatic plant known by the common names alpine pondweed and red pondweed. It is widespread in the northern hemisphere in both rivers and lakes with good water quality.
Potamogeton epihydrus is a perennial aquatic plant known by the common names ribbonleaf pondweed and Nuttall's pondweed, and American pondweed in the United Kingdom. It is native to much of North America, where it grows in water bodies such as ponds, lakes, ditches, and slow-moving streams.
Potamogeton gramineus is a species of aquatic plant known by the common name various-leaved pondweed, variableleaf pondweed, grass-leaved pondweed or grassy pondweed, native to the northern hemisphere where it grows in shallow, clean water.
Potamogeton nodosus is a species of aquatic plant known by the common names longleaf pondweed and Loddon pondweed. It is native to Eurasia and the Americas, where it is widespread and can be found in water bodies such as ponds, lakes, ditches, and streams. This is a perennial herb producing a thin, branching stem easily exceeding a meter in maximum length. The submerged leaves are linear to widely lance-shaped and up to 15 by 4 centimetres in length and width, respectively, while the floating leaves achieve shorter maximum lengths and are ovate or elliptic. Both floating leaves and submerged leaves are borne on long petioles, a distinguishing characteristic. The inflorescence is a spike of many small flowers arising from the water on a peduncle.
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.
Potamogeton compressus is a species of aquatic plant known by the common names grass-wrack pondweed, flatstem pondweed and eel-grass pondweed.
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.
Potamogeton acutifolius is a European species of aquatic plant in the family Potamogetonaceae, known by the common name sharp-leaved pondweed. It is threatened and declining in at least part of its range.
Potamogeton × griffithii is a hybrid pondweed between Potamogeton alpinus and Potamogeton praelongus. It occurs in oligotrophic, moderate alkalinity lakes.
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.
Potamogeton × angustifolius is a hybrid pondweed between Potamogeton gramineus and Potamogeton lucens, known as long-leaved pondweed. It is widespread in rivers and lakes except where the water is very soft.
Potamogeton friesii, known as flat-stalked pondweed, or Fries' pondweed, is an aquatic plant in the genus Potamogeton. It grows mainly in mesotrophic to eutrophic rivers, lakes, ponds and ditches, rarely in brackish water. It occurs in North America, Europe, western Asia and a few scattered locations elsewhere in Asia.