Potamogeton crispus

Potamogeton crispus, the curly-leaf pondweed, is a species of aquatic plant native to Eurasia but perhaps better known as an introduced species and often a noxious weed in North America.

This plant is a rhizomatous perennial herb producing a flattened, branching stem up to a meter long. The leaves are linear or oblong in shape, narrower than broad-leaved pondweed, bog pondweed, fen pondweed, shining pondweed, and perfoliate pondweed. The thick leaves are up to 8 centimeters long and nearly one wide, and they are distinctive for their ruffled or wavy, serrated edges. They lack petioles. Turions occur in leaf axils and at stem tips.

The inflorescence is a short spike of flowers emerging above the water surface. It flowers from May until October.^[1] The turions of the plant develop along with the fruits and germinate, leaving the newly sprouted plants to overwinter.^[2]

Environmental impact

This pondweed is considered an invasive species in some areas where it is found, such as much of North America. It was introduced accidentally to the Great Lakes and inland lakes within that region. The plant thrives in conditions normally less habitable to native plant species. It competes with native plant life and sometimes displaces it. It clogs waterways, inhibiting aquatic recreation and is considered a nuisance in some areas.

References

External links

• Jepson Manual Treatment
• USDA Plants Profile
• Washington Burke Museum
• Photo gallery
• GLANSIS Species FactSheet
• Species Profile- Curly Pondweed (Potamogeton crispus), National Invasive Species Information Center, United States National Agricultural Library. Lists general information and resources for Curly Pondweed.