General: Perennial aquatic herb from a fibrous root; flowering stems several, branched at the nodes.
Leaves: Stem leaves in whorls of 3 or the lowest opposite, broadly lanceolate to oblong or egg-shaped, rounded at the tips, 6-17 mm long, 1-4 mm wide, minutely sharp-toothed.
Flowers: Inflorescence of either male or female, axillary, long-stalked, solitary flowers; petals 3, white, lanceolate, 4.5-5 mm long (male) or, 2-3 mm long (female); sepals 3, greenish, elliptic, 3.5-5 mm long (male) or 2-3 mm long (female); stamens 9.
Fruits: Capsules, cylindric or egg-shaped, about 6 mm long; seeds several, 4-5 mm long, smooth.
Lakes, ponds, streams and ditches in the lowland, steppe and montane zones; frequent in S BC south of 51degreeN, infrequent northward; E to PQ and NS and S to MA, PA, SC, FL, MS, TX, NM, AZ and CA.
The table below shows the species-specific information calculated from original data (BEC database) provided by the BC Ministry of Forests and Range. (Updated August, 2013)
BC Ministry of Environment:BC Species and Ecosystems Explorer,
the authoritative source for conservation information in British Columbia.
Synonyms and Alternate Names
Anacharis canadensis (Michx.) Planch. Anacharis canadensis var. planchonii (Caspary) Victorin Elodea brandegeeae H. St. John Elodea ioensis Wylie Elodea linearis (Rydb.) H. St. John Elodea planchonii Caspary Philotria canadensis (Michx.) Britt. Philotria linearis Rydb.
