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Potamogeton foliosus

Raf.

Leafy Pondweed

G5Secure Found in 5 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
Least concernIUCN
UnknownThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.150233
Element CodePMPOT030B0
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
leafy pondweed (EN) Potamot feuillé (FR)
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.
Taxonomic Comments
Two subspecies of Potamogeton foliosus recognized by Kartesz (1999), ssp. fibrillosus and ssp. foliosus; these have sometimes been treated as varieties, as by Kartesz (1994).
Conservation Status
Rank Method Rank calculation - Biotics v2
Review Date2024-11-04
Change Date1985-11-13
Edition Date2024-11-04
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 foliosus is a perennial aquatic forb occurring in a wide variety of aquatic habitats of North America, Mexico, and Central America. There are over 600 occurrences of this taxon, which are threatened by development, water diversion and alteration of hydrology, erosion, pollution, recreational activities, invasive species, climate change, and 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 foliosus is considered secure.
Range Extent Comments
Potamogeton foliosus occurs in North America south through Mexico and Central America (FNA 2000). In North America, it is found in Alaska and the Northwest Territories throughout southern Canada and the United States. Range extent was estimated using herbarium specimens and photo-based observations documented between 1993 and 2024 (GBIF 2024, iNaturalist 2024, SEINet 2024). See individual entries for distribution details about the two subspecies.
Occurrences Comments
By applying a 1 km separation distance to herbarium records and photo-based observations documented between 1993 and 2024, there are estimated to be over 600 occurrences rangewide (GBIF 2024, iNaturalist 2024, SEINet 2024).
Threat Impact Comments
Threats to Potamogeton foliosus are not widely documented, but include grazing by non-native carp, recreation, rights-of-way construction, development, alteration of hydrology, likely other threats in some places (Les 2020, NatureServe 2025). Populations have also disappeared in some places which have experienced heavy turbidity (Les 2020).
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Potamogeton foliosus occurs in "calm to lotic, tidal or non-tidal brooks (muddy), canals (drainage, irrigation), channels (river), depressions, ditches (dredged, irrigation, roadside), floodplains, gravel bars, gravel pits, lagoons (spring-fed), lakes, marshes (vernal), mudflats, oxbows, ponds (beaver, fish hatchery, hydrothermal, livestock, ornamental, prairie, roadside, siltation, spring-fed, strip mine), pools (dune, intermittent, isolated, spring-fed, vernal), potholes, reservoirs, rice fields, rivers, sand pits, seeps, sinkholes, sloughs, sluiceways, springs (hot [e.g., 30°C]), streams (intermittent, shallow, sluggish, spring-fed, swift), swales, troughs (water), and washes (rocky, sandy) at elevations to 3472 m" (Les 2020). This species occurs primarily in shallow waters but has been observed at depths of 4.3 to 14.0 m. It tolerates a broad range of substrates, including clay, gravel, and mud, and prefers alkaline waters with a pH of 6.5 to 9.8. It is often associated with nutrient-rich environments and places with fluctuating water levels.

Reproduction

Fruits are primarily dispersed by water and likely by waterfowl (Les 2020).
Other Nations (2)
United StatesN5
ProvinceRankNative
NebraskaSNRYes
GeorgiaSNRYes
ColoradoS3Yes
New JerseySNRYes
New HampshireSNRYes
CaliforniaSNRYes
MinnesotaSNRYes
WisconsinSNRYes
MichiganSNRYes
ArizonaSNRYes
South DakotaSNRYes
IowaS4Yes
MarylandS2Yes
MaineSNRYes
OregonSNRYes
WyomingS3Yes
TennesseeSNRYes
DelawareS4Yes
MontanaSNRYes
OklahomaSNRYes
LouisianaSNRYes
North CarolinaS2Yes
PennsylvaniaSNRYes
ConnecticutSNRYes
KansasSNRYes
AlaskaSNRYes
New YorkSNRYes
MissouriSNRYes
South CarolinaSNRYes
MississippiSNRYes
IdahoSNRYes
ArkansasSNRYes
FloridaSNRYes
IllinoisS3Yes
Rhode IslandSNRYes
West VirginiaS4Yes
North DakotaSNRYes
OhioSNRYes
UtahSNRYes
New MexicoSNRYes
WashingtonSNRYes
KentuckySNRYes
MassachusettsSNRYes
HawaiiSNRYes
IndianaSNRYes
NevadaS3Yes
District of ColumbiaSNRYes
AlabamaSNRYes
VirginiaS4Yes
TexasS4Yes
VermontS5Yes
CanadaN5
ProvinceRankNative
Island of NewfoundlandS1Yes
AlbertaS4Yes
QuebecSNRYes
New BrunswickS4Yes
British ColumbiaS5Yes
LabradorSNRYes
Yukon TerritoryS4Yes
OntarioS5Yes
Nova ScotiaS4Yes
Northwest TerritoriesS3Yes
Prince Edward IslandS4Yes
SaskatchewanS4Yes
ManitobaS3Yes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
1 - Residential & commercial developmentUnknownUnknownUnknown
4 - Transportation & service corridorsUnknownUnknownUnknown
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
8.1.2 - Named speciesUnknownUnknownUnknown
9 - PollutionUnknownUnknownUnknown
9.3 - Agricultural & forestry effluentsUnknownUnknownUnknown
9.3.2 - Soil erosion, sedimentationUnknownUnknownUnknown

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Plant Characteristics
DurationANNUAL, PERENNIAL
Economic Value (Genus)No
Roadless Areas (5)
California (3)
AreaForestAcres
Middle YubaTahoe National Forest7,379
San Gabriel AddAngeles National Forest2,527
WestforkAngeles National Forest4,407
Montana (2)
AreaForestAcres
Cabinet Face East #671Kootenai National Forest50,326
Scotchman Peaks (MT)Kootenai National Forest53,909
References (6)
  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. Southwest Environmental Information Network (SEINet). 2024. Collections Databases. Online. Available: https://swbiodiversity.org/seinet/collections/index.php (accessed 2024).