E-Flora BC: Electronic Atlas of the Flora of British Columbia

Potamogeton pusillus L. subsp. pusillus
small pondweed
Potamogetonaceae (Horned pondweed family)

Introduction to Vascular Plants
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E-Flora BC Static Map
Distribution of Potamogeton pusillus subsp. pusillus
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Species Information

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General:
Perennial, aquatic herb from fine, tufted roots; stems up to 100 cm long, sparingly branched.
Leaves:
All submersed, linear, the sides parallel, thin, green, 1-15 cm long, 0.3-3 cm wide, unstalked, usually with 3 veins, the tips pointed, the stipules 0.5-1 cm long, delicate, not fibrous, greenish or brownish, the margins fused, the veins obscure and faint, the basal glands at nodes well-developed.
Flowers:
Inflorescence spikelike, the spikes 0.5-1.5 cm long, with 2 to 5 whorls of flowers, the stalks thin; bases of the winter buds soft, smooth.
Fruits:
Achenes, almost rounded, 1.5-2.8 mm long, 1.6-2 mm wide, widest above the middle, the beaks short, stubby, the keels absent.
Notes:
Two subspecies, occasionally treated as separate species (e.g., Douglas et al 1994) can be distinguished in our area.

1. Stipules with fused margins; leaves without translucent bands along the midveins or with the bands up to 2-rows wide on each side of the midveins; marginal veins join the midveins about 2 mm from the leaf tips in a sharp angle....................ssp. pusillus

1. Stipules with overlapping margins; leaves with translucent bands up to 5-rows wide on each side of the midveins; marginal veins join the midveins about 0.5-1 mm from the leaf tips in a blunt (60 degree) angle....................ssp. tenuissimus (Mert. & Koch) Haynes & C.B. Hellquist

Source: The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Habitat / Range

Lakes, ponds, sloughs and ditches in the lowland, steppe and montane zones; frequent in BC; circumpolar, N to AK, YT and NT, E to NF and S to ME, MA, PA, NC, FL, MS, LA, TX, NM, AZ and CA; Eurasia, Mexico, Africa.

Source: The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Climate

The climate type for this species, as reported in the: "British Columbia plant species codes and selected attributes. Version 6 Database" (Meidinger et al. 2008), is not evaluated, unknown or variable.

Synonyms and Alternate Names

Potamogeton lateralis Morong p.p.
Potamogeton panormitanus Biv.
Potamogeton panormitanus var. major G. Fisch.
Potamogeton panormitanus var. minor Biv.
Potamogeton pusillus var. minor (Biv.) Fernald & B.G. Schub.
Potamogeton pusillus var. pusillus L.

Taxonomic and Nomenclatural Links

Additional Photo Sources

General References