Alaska Aquatic Plant

220 Pages·2010·7.69 MB·English

Introduction to
Common Native
&
Potential Invasive
Freshwater Plants in Alaska
Cover photographs by (top to bottom, left to right):
Tara Chestnut/Hannah E. Anderson, Jamie Fenneman, Vanessa Morgan, Dana Visalli,
Jamie Fenneman, Lynda K. Moore and Denny Lassuy.
Introduction to
Common Native
&
Potential Invasive
Freshwater Plants in Alaska
This document is based on An Aquatic Plant Identification Manual for
Washington’s Freshwater Plants, which was modified with permission from the
Washington State Department of Ecology,
by the
Center for Lakes and Reservoirs at Portland State University
for
Alaska Department of Fish and Game
US Fish & Wildlife Service - Coastal Program
US Fish & Wildlife Service - Aquatic Invasive Species Program
December 2009

TABLE OF CONTENTS
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Acknowledgments ............................................................................ x
Introduction
Overview ............................................................................. xvi
How to Use This Manual .................................................... xvi
Categories of Special Interest
Imperiled, Rare and Uncommon Aquatic Species ..................... xx
Indigenous Peoples Use of Aquatic Plants .............................. xxi
Invasive Aquatic Plants
Impacts ................................................................................. xxi
Vectors ................................................................................. xxii
Prevention Tips .................................................... xxii
Early Detection and Reporting Options ............. xxiii

* names shown in red are potentially invasive in Alaska *
Chapter 1 – Shoreline Plants
Alisma triviale - Northern water-plantain ................................................. 4
Sagittaria cuneata - Duck potato .....................................................................6
Calla palustris - Water arum ...................................................................... 8
Lysichiton americanus - American skunkcabbage ................................................ 10
Myosotis scorpioides - True forget-me-not ...............................................12
Rorippa nasturtium-aquaticum - Watercress ....................................................14
Butomus umbellatus - Flowering rush .................................................... 16
Carex spp. - Sedges .....................................................................................................18
Dulichium arundinaceum - Dulichium ...................................................................20
Eleocharis acicularis - Needle spike-rush ..............................................................22
Eleocharis palustris - Common spike-rush ...........................................................22
Schoenoplectus tabernaemontani - Softstem bulrush....................................................24
Scirpus microcarpus - Panicled bulrush....................................................24
Equisetum fluviatile - Water horsetail .............................................................26
Equisetum variegatum - Variegated horsetail ..............................................................26
Myriophyllum aquaticum - Parrot feather watermilfoil ...............................28
Hippuris montana - Mountain mare’s-tail .......................................................... 30
Hippuris vulgaris - Common mare’s-tail .......................................................... 32
Hippuris tetraphylla - Fourleaf mare’s-tail .......................................................... 32
Juncus spp. - Rushes ......................................................................................... 34
Juncus supiniformis - Hairyleaf rush ..............................................................34
Lysimachia thyrsiflora - Tufted loosestife ..........................................................36
Lysimachia vulgaris - Garden loosestrife ..........................................................36
Lythrum salicaria - Purple loosestrife .........................................................38
iv
Chapter 1 – Shoreline Plants continued
Menyanthes trifoliata - Buckbean .............................................................40
Myrica gale - sweetgale .....................................................................42
Calamagrostis canadensis - bluejoint reedgrass ............................44
Phalaris arundinacea - Reed Canarygrass .......................................................46
Polygonum amphibium - Water Smartweed ...............................................48
Polygonum persicaria - Spotted ladysthumb ................................................48
Ranunculus repens - creeping buttercup..................................... 50
Comarum palustre - Purple marshlocks ................................................ 52
Typha latifolia - broadleaf cattail.............................................. 54
Sparganium angustifolium - Narrow Leaf bur-reed...........................................56
Sparganium hyperboreum - Northern bur-reed .......................................................58
Sparganium natans - Small bur-reed .......................................................58
Chapter 2 – Floating Leaved Rooted Plants
Brasenia schreberi - Water-shield ............................................................62
Nymphoides peltata - Yellow Floating-heart ......................................64
Nuphar lutea ssp. polysepala - Yellow pond-lily .............................66
Nymphaea odorata spp. odorata - American white waterlily .......................68
Nymphaea tetragona - Pygmy waterlily .....................................................70
Potamogeton alpinus - Alpine Pondweed .........................................................72
Potamogeton gramineus - Grass-leaved Pondweed.........................................72
Potamogeton epihydrus - Ribbonleaf Pondweed..............................................74
Potamogeton natans - Floating-leaved Pondweed............................................74
Trapa natans - Water Chestnut .........................................................................76
Chapter 3 – Free Floating Plants
Azolla filiculoides - Pacific azolla .....................................................................80
Lemna minor - Common duckweed ......................................................................82
Riccia fluitans - Slender riccia .........................................................................84
Ricciocarpus natans - Purple-fringed riccia......................................................84
TA B L E O F C O N T E N T S v
Chapter 4 – Submersed Plants
Cabomba caroliniana - Fanwort ......................................................................88
Callitriche heterophylla - Two-headed water-starwort.................................90
Callitriche palustris - Vernal water-starwort .........................................................90
Callitriche stagnalis - Pond water-starwort .......................................................92
Callitriche hermaphroditica - Autumnal water-starwort....................................92
Ceratophyllum demersum - Coontail ................................................................94
Egeria densa - Brazilian waterweed .....................................................................96
Elodea canadensis - Common waterweed .....................................................98
Hydrilla verticillata - Hydrilla ........................................................................100
Isoetes spp. - Quillworts ................................................................................102
Isoetes tenella - Spiny-spore quillworts ..........................................................102
Lemna trisulca - Star duckweed .......................................................................104
Limosella aquatica - Water Mudwort .............................................................106
Lobelia dortmanna - Water Lobelia ...............................................................108
Myriophyllum sibiricum - Shortspike watermilfoil .....................................................110
Myriophyllum spicatum - Eurasian watermilfoil..............................................112
Myriophyllum verticillatum - Whorl-leaf watemilfoil ..................................................114
Najas flexilis - Nodding waternymph ............................................................116
Potamogeton crispus - Curly Leaf pondweed..................................................118
Potamogeton zosteriformis - Flat-stem pondweed............................................118
Potamogeton friesii - Flat-stalked Pondweed...................................................120
Potamogeton obtusifolius - Blunt-leaved pondweed.........................................120
Potamogeton pusillus - Small pondweed .........................................................122
Potamogeton foliosus - Leafy pondweed .........................................................122
Potamogeton praelongus - White-stemmed Pondweed....................................124
Potamogeton richardsonii - Richardson’s Pondweed.......................................124
Potamogeton robbinsii - Fern-leaf Pondweed..................................................126
Potamogeton subsibiricus - Yenisei River pondweed ....................................128
Ranunculus aquatilis - White water crowfoot ................................................130
Ranunculus trichophyllus - Threadleaf crowfoot .......................................130
Ruppia cirrhosa - Spiral ditch-grass ...........................................................132
Ruppia maritima - Widgeongrass ..................................................................132
Schoenoplectus subterminalis - Swaying Bulrush ................................................134
Stuckenia filiformis - Fineleaf pondweed ........................................................136
Stuckenia pectinata - Sago pondweed ...............................................................136
Stuckenia vaginata - Sheathed pondweed ....................................................136
Subularia aquatica - Waterawlwort .......................................................................138
Utricularia inflata - Swollen bladderwort ........................................................140
Utricularia macrorhiza - Common bladderwort ....................................................140
Utricularia intermedia - Flatleaf bladderwort ........................................................142
Utricularia minor - Lesser bladderwort ........................................................142
Zannichellia palustris - Horned pondweed ...............................................144
vi
Chapter 5 - Macroscopic Algae
Chara spp. - Muskgrasses .............................................................................148
Nitella sp. - Nitella ........................................................................................150
Chapter 6 – Aquatic Moss
Fontinalis antipyretica - Common Water Moss...............................................154
Sphagnum spp. - Peat Moss ..........................................................................156
Chapter 7 – Curiosities
Didymosphenia geminata - Didymo ................................................................. 160
Freshwater Sponges ...................................................................................... 162
Bryozoans .................................................................................................... 162
Filamentous Green Algae .............................................................................. 164
Blue-Green Algae - Cyanobacteria ................................................................ 164

Appendix A – Glossary ............................................................................... 168
Appendix B – Collecting & Preserving Aquatic Plant Specimens ........ 174
References ................................................................................................... 180
Plant Species Indexes
Index to Scientific Names ....................................................................... 190
Index to Common Names ........................................................................... 193
TA B L E O F C O N T E N T S vii