Hairlike pondweed (Potamogeton confervoides)
Description
Although it could be easily overlooked, alga pondweed is a delicate, distinctive species. Growing from elongate, slender, creeping rhizomes, the much-branched, roundish stems, which range up to ca. 8 dm in length, produce numerous, spirallyarranged fans of fine, hair-like submerged leaves (no floating leaves are developed) that are filamentous (0.25 mm wide by 5-20 cm long), flat, and have only one nerve. The fine, membranous stipules do not adhere to the leaf bases. Overwintering buds known as turions can be produced, and when present, occur in the axils (bases) of old leaves or within senescing branches. A single globular cluster of fruits is borne on a long peduncle (5-20 cm) arising from the stem tip. The combination of fine leaves and an unusually long terminal peduncle are diagnostic for this species.
Taxonomic tree
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Domain: Eukarya
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Kingdom: Plantae
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Phylum: Magnoliophyta
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Class: Liliopsida
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Order: Alismatales
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Family: Potamogetonaceae
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Genus: Potamogeton
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