American
Pondweed - Potamogeton nodosus
Family: Potamogetonaceae
Description
American Pondweed, is an aquatic plant that has floating elliptical leaves
and sumbmersed lanceolate leaves. This plant can be easily seen on lakes
where its floating leaves form a mat on the surface that are interspursed
with the flowering infloresences that stick up from them.
American pondweed resembles and may be mistaken for Illinois pondweed
(P. illinoensis). P. illinoensis often has few floating
leaves, smaller petioles and smaller fruits.
Interesting crew tid-bits
Rob Nelson here. American Pondweed is one aquatic plant that, while I
didn't know its name, was very familiar with as a young boy. I grew up
going to our families lake house retreat every weekend and most of the
summer. We had a small section of lake front shoreline that we'd swim
in and play water basketball in. But, the area kept getting
filled in with, what I thought was an awefuly annoying aquatic plant ...
what I now know as American Pondweed. We used to pull it up and
burn it! I know now that it was probably helping our fish by providing
habitat and food (as noted in Brooks and Hauser 1978). But, because many
people probably have the same experience as myself - this plant growing
where it isn't wanted - we've included it here as a weed.
Links to more information
Website, video, and graphics by Rob Nelson
For more information on this plant or management please contact US Army Corp of Engineers
Pondweed Videos
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