Pondweed Family [Potamogetonaceae] |
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13th July 2012, slopes of High Tove, Watendlath, Cumbria. | Photo: © RWD |
A deep water-filled hole disguised with floating Bog Pondweed that your Author nearly walked straight into. Occupies shallow water in boggy areas of acidic places such as the western hills of Cumbria and elsewhere. It rains more in the UK in the West because the prevailing winds usually blows westwardly, usually north-west, and the first thing the moisture-laden wind sees are hills which make the air rise, cool, and condense into raindrops which fall back to earth as rain, which is often wet... |
13th July 2012, slopes of High Tove, Watendlath, Cumbria. | Photo: © RWD |
Has floating broad-oval leaves. |
13th July 2012, slopes of High Tove, Watendlath, Cumbria. | Photo: © RWD |
And compact flowering spikes reminiscent of those of the Plantain Family, especially those of Greater Plantain (but that is not an aquatic plant). |
13th July 2012, slopes of High Tove, Watendlath, Cumbria. | Photo: © RWD |
The floating leaves obscure many submerged narrower leaves (not shown!) peeling off a stalk at intervals. |
13th July 2012, slopes of High Tove, Watendlath, Cumbria. | Photo: © RWD |
The flowering stalk is like a green sparkler firework, but much shorter. The flowers are at first compacted (centre right) before opening up (top right). |
13th July 2012, slopes of High Tove, Watendlath, Cumbria. | Photo: © RWD |
Flowers opened up showing four green 'petals' or sepals, and four cream-coloured anthers? within. |
13th July 2012, slopes of High Tove, Watendlath, Cumbria. | Photo: © RWD |
13th July 2012, slopes of High Tove, Watendlath, Cumbria. | Photo: © RWD |
Flowers in close-up. |
13th July 2012, slopes of High Tove, Watendlath, Cumbria. | Photo: © RWD |
Flowering stalks that are going to fruit lie on the surface of the water. The floating leaves are much the same size, just a little variation. However there is a large variation in size of the (here hidden) submerged leaves. |
7th July 2018, the fells, Boot, Eskdale Valley, Lakes. | Photo: © RWD |
There is a large variation in size of the (here hidden) submerged leaves and here in this dried-out pool you are able to see all the leaves, floating and submerged. |
7th July 2018, the fells, Boot, Eskdale Valley, Lakes. | Photo: © RWD |
And this view shows most of the huge leaf-size variation. There is also an inflorescence spike just left of dead-centre. |
13th July 2012, slopes of High Tove, Watendlath, Cumbria. | Photo: © RWD |
Two new flowering stalks just emerging from the water (top right) |
13th July 2012, slopes of High Tove, Watendlath, Cumbria. | Photo: © RWD |
Flowers gone to fruit. New flowering spike just emerging from below the surface (bottom right). |
13th July 2012, slopes of High Tove, Watendlath, Cumbria. | Photo: © RWD |
Leaves broad oval to broad laneolate, green tending to reddish. |
13th July 2012, slopes of High Tove, Watendlath, Cumbria. | Photo: © RWD |
Leaves have many feint dark veins and a glossy finish. |
Hybridizes with :
Broad-leaved Pondweedand Various-leaved Pondweedgrow extensively in Cumbria. Easily mistaken for :
Slight resemblance to : Greater Plantain (the flowering spikes only), but that doesn't grown in water. Grows in shallow (fresh?) water on acidic lands, such as damp mountain sides and valleys, in flushes and bogs or, sometimes occasionally in on dried out mud. Bog Pondweed is by far the commonest pondweed to grow in acidic places.
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Potamogeton | polygonifolius | ⇐ Global Aspect ⇒ | Potamogetonaceae |
Potamogeton (Pondweeds) |
Pondweed Family [Potamogetonaceae] |