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Plant
Identification
Coontail
 Description Management
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Ceratophyllum
demersum
Coontail, or sometimes
called hornwort, is a dark olive-green, rootless submerged perennial
plant that often forms dense colonies. Leaves are relatively
stiff, whorled with many forks and small teeth along one edge.
The tips of branches are crowded with leaves giving it a "coontail" resemblance.
Coontail reproduces by seeds and fragmentation.
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") for many aquatic
invertebrates. The fruits of coontail are consumed by ducks and
it is considered a good wildlife food.
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Plant Index
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" indicates Non-Native plants.