Plant
Identification
American Pondweed
 Description Management
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Potamogeton
nodosus
American pondweed is a perennial
plant that has both floating and a few submerged leaves in an alternate
pattern. The floating leaves are elliptical to oval 4 to 7 inches long
and to 2 1 inches wide on long petioles. Submerged leaves are not abundant
and are blade-like, somewhat transparent and smaller than floating
leaves. Fruits are on spikes that often stand above the water's surface
and are brownish to reddish 3 to 2 1 inches long and 1/8 to1/4 inches
wide.
Submerged portions of all
aquatic plants provide habitats for many micro and macro invertebrates.
These invertebrates in turn are used as food by fish and other wildlife
species (e.g. amphibians, reptiles, ducks, etc.). After aquatic plants
die, their decomposition by bacteria and fungi provides food (called "detritus")
or many aquatic invertebrates. American pondweed is highly utilized
as food by ducks and some other types of wildlife.
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" indicates Non-Native plants.