|  back  | forward |

Elodea nuttallii - (image 1 of 2)

Taxonomy

Family: Hydrocharitaceae

Habitat

Lakes and slow streams and ditches. Not tolerant of habitat degradation. Swink & Wilhelm mention that it is found in calcareous water with Chara, but Gleason & Cronquist give the habitat as "quiet, usually noncalcareous water".

Associates

In calcareous waters with Chara.

Distribution

ME and Quebec west to MN and NE, south to NC, MS, and MO; irregularly in the western U.S.

Morphology

Submerged aquatic. Leaves all cauline, flaccid, pale, relatively soft, sessile, slender, minutely and sharply serrate, 1-nerved, whorled, rarely more than 1.5 mm wide, never more than 2 mm, the upper not closely imbricate. Flowers sessile; staminate spathes less than 6 mm long, separating and floating at anthesis.

Notes

Flowers July

Wetland indicator: Obligate

The name Waterweed is a bit of a misnomer, as this is not really weedy where it is native. May be problematic elsewhere.

References

Gleason, Henry A. and A. Cronquist. 1991. Manual of Vascular Plants of Northeastern United States and Adjacent Canada. Second Ed.
The New York Botanical Garden. Bronx, NY

Swink, F. and G. Wilhelm. 1994. Plants of the Chicago Region.
Indiana Academy of Science. The Morton Arboretum. Lisle, Illinois.

Home