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Potamogeton robbinsii

Oakes

Flatleaf Pondweed

G5Secure Found in 3 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
Least concernIUCN
UnknownThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.148296
Element CodePMPOT030Z0
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVascular Plant
IUCNLeast concern
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomPlantae
PhylumAnthophyta
ClassMonocotyledoneae
OrderNajadales
FamilyPotamogetonaceae
GenusPotamogeton
Other Common Names
Fern Pondweed (EN) Potamot de Robbins (FR) Robbins' pondweed (EN) Robbins' Pondweed (EN)
Concept Reference
Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
Conservation Status
Rank Method Rank calculation - Biotics v2
Review Date2024-10-03
Change Date1984-06-25
Edition Date2024-10-03
Edition AuthorsN. Ventrella (2024)
Threat ImpactUnknown
Range Extent>2,500,000 square km (greater than 1,000,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences> 300
Rank Reasons
Potamogeton robbinsii is a perennial aquatic forb occurring in shallow to deep water in rivers, streams, lakes, and ponds of North America from Alaska and Nunavut east to Nova Scotia, Canada south to New Jersey, west to Oregon, California, and Utah (excluding the upper Midwest), and as a disjunct (possibly exotic) population in Alabama in the United States. There are over 400 occurrences of this taxon, which are threatened by water pollution and eutrophication, recreation (including boat traffic), aquatic herbicides, invasive species, development, alteration of hydrology, and likely other threats in some places. Little is known about threats or trends, but with a large range extent, high number of occurrences, abundant habitat, broad habitat preferences, and no obvious intrinsic vulnerabilities, Potamogeton robbinsii is considered secure.
Range Extent Comments
Potamogeton robbinsii occurs in North America from Alaska and Nunavut east to Nova Scotia, Canada south to New Jersey, west to Oregon, California, and Utah (excluding the upper Midwest), and as a disjunct (possibly exotic) population in Alabama in the United States (FNA 2000, Weakley and the Southeastern Flora Team 2024). Range extent was estimated to be over 11 million square kilometers using herbarium specimens, photo-based observations, and NatureServe Network occurrence data collected between 1993 and 2024 (GBIF 2024, iNaturalist 2024, NatureServe 2024, SEINet 2024).
Occurrences Comments
By applying a 1 km separation distance to herbarium specimens, photo-based observations, and NatureServe Network occurrence data documented between 1993 and 2024, it is estimated that there are more than 400 occurrences rangewide (GBIF 2024, iNaturalist 2024, NatureServe 2024, SEINet 2024).
Threat Impact Comments
Although threats are not widely documented, Potamogeton robbinsii is threatened by water pollution and eutrophication, recreation (including boat traffic), aquatic herbicides, invasive species, development, alteration of hydrology, and other threats in some places, though there is insufficient data, including anecdotal accounts, to understand scope and severity of threats for this species (NatureServe 2024).
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Potamogeton robbinsii occurs in "bays, channels, coves, lakes (alpine, boggy), ponds, rivers, sloughs (backwater), and streams" (Les 2020). This species occurs in still to slow-moving alkaline waters at depths from 0.2 to 14 m.
Other Nations (2)
CanadaN5
ProvinceRankNative
AlbertaS1Yes
Island of NewfoundlandS1Yes
New BrunswickS4Yes
QuebecS4Yes
NunavutSHYes
Nova ScotiaS4Yes
ManitobaS2Yes
Northwest TerritoriesS2Yes
SaskatchewanS3Yes
British ColumbiaS4Yes
OntarioS5Yes
United StatesN5
ProvinceRankNative
WyomingS2Yes
UtahS1Yes
Rhode IslandSNRYes
MontanaSNRYes
PennsylvaniaS4Yes
AlaskaS2Yes
ConnecticutSNRYes
OhioS1Yes
CaliforniaS3Yes
NevadaSNRYes
District of ColumbiaSHYes
New HampshireSNRYes
MassachusettsSNRYes
IndianaS3Yes
MaineSNRYes
MichiganSNRYes
DelawareSXYes
AlabamaS1Yes
IdahoSNRYes
New JerseyS2Yes
WashingtonSNRYes
MinnesotaSNRYes
VirginiaSHYes
OregonS2Yes
MarylandS1Yes
VermontS5Yes
New YorkS5Yes
WisconsinSNRYes
ColoradoS1Yes
IllinoisS1Yes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
1 - Residential & commercial developmentUnknownUnknownUnknown
6 - Human intrusions & disturbanceUnknownUnknownUnknown
6.1 - Recreational activitiesUnknownUnknownUnknown
7 - Natural system modificationsUnknownUnknownUnknown
7.2 - Dams & water management/useUnknownUnknownUnknown
8 - Invasive & other problematic species, genes & diseasesUnknownUnknownUnknown
8.1 - Invasive non-native/alien species/diseasesUnknownUnknownUnknown
8.1.1 - Unspecified speciesUnknownUnknownUnknown
9 - PollutionUnknownUnknownUnknown
9.3 - Agricultural & forestry effluentsUnknownUnknownUnknown
9.3.1 - Nutrient loadsUnknownUnknownUnknown
9.3.3 - Herbicides and pesticidesUnknownUnknownUnknown

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Plant Characteristics
DurationPERENNIAL
Economic Value (Genus)No
Roadless Areas (3)
California (2)
AreaForestAcres
Orleans Mtn. BSix Rivers National Forest17,183
PortugueseKlamath National Forest18,915
Minnesota (1)
AreaForestAcres
Cabin CreekSuperior National Forest6,071
References (8)
  1. Flora of North America Editorial Committee (FNA). 2000. Flora of North America north of Mexico. Vol. 22. Magnoliophyta: Alismatidae, Arecidae, Commelinidae (in part), and Zingiberidae. Oxford Univ. Press, New York. xxiii + 352 pp.
  2. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). 2024. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) data portal. Online. Available: https://www.gbif.org/ (accessed 2024).
  3. iNaturalist. 2024. Online. Available: https://www.inaturalist.org (accessed 2024).
  4. Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
  5. Les, D. 2020. Aquatic Monocotyledons of North America: Ecology, Life History, and Systematics. CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL. 568 pp.
  6. NatureServe. 2024. NatureServe Network Biodiversity Location Data. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia.
  7. Southwest Environmental Information Network (SEINet). 2024. Collections Databases. Online. Available: https://swbiodiversity.org/seinet/collections/index.php (accessed 2024).
  8. Weakley, A.S., and Southeastern Flora Team. 2024. Flora of the southeastern United States. Edition of March 4, 2024. University of North Carolina Herbarium (NCU), North Carolina Botanical Garden, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. 2203 pp.