Prior Lake—Spring Lake Watershed District AQUATIC REFERENCE CHART

Aquatic play a vital role in lake ecosystems, providing benefits for wildlife, people, and water health. They create valuable habitat for fish and waterfowl, absorb undesirable nutrients, and improve water clarity. Minnesota has nearly 150 species of aquatic plants, most of which are native species. This guide is intended to assist in identifying most of the common aquatic plants present in lakes within the Prior Lake—Spring Lake Watershed District. Plant names in red are invasive species.

Cattails (Typha spp.) Water Celery (Vallisneria americana) Star Watergrass (Heteranthera dubia) Slender Naiad (Najas flexills)

Cattails are an emergent Water celery is submersed, as just the Star watergrass is a submerged Slender naiad consists of (above water) plant, well leaf tips trail on the water’s surface. plant comprised of slender, narrow leaves attached known for their flowering Leaves are ribbon-like and range in freely branched stems and directly to narrow, branched head. Leaves are flat and color from green to reddish. They narrow leaves. Leaves connect stems. Leaf size and spacing is wide, rising from the base of emerge from basal clusters (or circular directly to the stem with no leaf extremely variable, but the the plant’s slender stem. arrangement of leaves from the same stalk and have lots of parallel plant is always submerged. This plant can be differentiated place) along a creeping rhizome. veins but no prominent mid- from Star watergrass, by its leaf shape. Slender naiad’s leaves vein. Plants can grow up to 6 are narrow with a broad base where they attach to the stem, feet long. and each leaf edge has fine teeth. * This photo courtesy of Robert H. Mohlenbrock, hosted by the USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / USDA NRCS. 1995. Northeast wetland flora: Field office guide to plant species. Northeast National Technical Center, Chester.

Sago Pondweed (Stuckenia pectinata) Illinois Pondweed ( illinoensis) Flatstem Pondweed (Potamogeton zosteriformis) Claspingleaf Pondweed (Potamogeton richardsonii)

Sago pondweed, is part This plant consists of submerged Flatstem pondweed is one of Claspingleaf pondweed can be of a different plant Tubers leaves on thick stems. Leaves are the most distinct pondweeds. It easily confused with curlyleaf family than most other wider than they are long, has strongly flattened stems pondweed—both having wavy, pondweeds, and is appearing lance to oval shaped. which are stiff and linear, with a submerged leaves. The main easily identified by the They can be attached directly or prominent mid-vein and difference is that curlyleaf tubers found on leaf sometimes have a short stalk. A numerous fine parallel veins. pondweed has serrated or tips. This pondweed key identifying feature of Illinois Leaves can be up to 8 inches “toothed” edges, while almost appears bushy pondweed is its stiff stipules (or long. Plants are freely branched claspingleaf pondweed has due to its branched outgrowths growing from the and have no floating leaves. smooth edges and a wide base stems and numerous stiff leaves. The leaves can resemble base of the leafstalk) which have that nearly completely wraps pine needles and spread in a fan-like fashion. 2 prominent ridges. Stipules around the stem. Stringy Pondweed (Potamogeton pusillus) Whitestem Pondweed (Potamogeton praelongus) Cabbage (Potamogeton amplifolius) Curlyleaf Pondweed ()

This plant consists of highly Whitestem pondweed is Cabbage, also known as large-leaf This plant is an aquatic invasive species. branched, somewhat flattened distinguished by its broad, pondweed has thick, large stems Leaves are a key identifying feature. They stems and slender, flexible leaves. submersed leaves and whitish, and both submerged and floating are all submerged and somewhat Leaves are up to 3 inches long, zigzag stem. Like other species leaves. Both leaf types are broad and resemble lasagna noodles, as they are connect directly to the stem, and of pondweed, leaves are shiny taper toward the stem. Submerged stiff and crinkled. Leaves do not wrap remain submersed in the water. They and often appear wavy or leaves appear long and gently around the stem. Upon closer inspection, have three parallel veins— the mid- twisted. However, this species’ folded, resembling a crescent moon. a row of “teeth” can be seen along leaf vein being the most prominent. Two leaf tips are “boat-shaped” or Floating leaves are more egg edges, which differentiates them from tiny glands (hard, clear to yellowish cupped and leaves do not wrap shaped. If the floating leaves have other aquatic plants. round dots) will be present at the around the entire stem. This been removed from boat propellers, this plant can be easily base of each leaf. * This photo courtesy of Christian Fischer. plant has no floating leaves. confused with Illinois pondweed. Eurasian Watermilfoil (Myriophyllum spicatum) Northern Watermilfoil (Myriophyllum sibricum) Coontail (Ceratophyllum demersum) Chara (Chara spp.)

Eurasian watermilfoil is an Northern watermilfoil is a Coontail is submerged rootless Chara is commonly known as aquatic invasive species submersed . plant. This plant gets its name Stonewort, Skunkweed, Sandgrass, which can be easily confused Leaves are deeply from the thick and bushy and Muskgrass because of its foul, by is native counterpart, dissected, with 5-10 growth of leaves that occurs at musty odor. However, these names northern watermilfoil. Both leaflet pairs per leaf. Four stem tips, which resemble a are somewhat misleading, because species are submerged leaves are positioned in raccoon’s tail. There, dark green the Chara species is actually not a aquatic plants which have whorls around the plants’ leaves are whorled around a plant, but an advanced form of four deeply-dissected or “feathery” leaves in a whorl around hollow stems. When hollow stem. algae. Chara has cylindrical, whorled their stems. However, Eurasian watermilfoil will have more removed from water, the leaves of this species are ridged. branches and has a grainy or leaflet pairs (12-20) than native milfoils. Leaves of this species This species is easily confused with the invasive Eurasian crunchy texture. It is commonly mistaken for coontail or will go limp when out of the water. watermilfoil. milfoil, but has a lighter green color.

Bladderwort/wart (Utricularia spp.) Elodea (Elodea canadensis) White Water Lilies (Nymphaea odorata) Purple Loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria)

Bladderwort is an annual, floating Elodea, sometimes called White water lilies are a floating- Purple Loosestrife is an aquatic invasive plant. It actually lacks roots, so Common waterweed or leaf species. Leaves are round species which invades marshes and stems and flowers float above a six Canada waterweed, is a and six to eight inches in lakeshores, displacing native species, and -pronged spur. Underwater, leaf submersed aquatic plant. It has diameter. Leaf tops are varying destroying the quality of wetlands. branches are fleshy and inflated branched stems, with three oval shaped leaves arranged in hues of green, but the underside Leaves have smooth edges and are with air, allowing the plant to float. clusters around them. Leaf clusters are closer together near is reddish-purple. This plant’s usually arranged in pairs opposite each Bladderworts are unique in that the tip and spaced farther apart down the stem. This plant’s flowers have individual stalks and are separate from the other or groups of three. Stalks are the underwater leaves bear small tiny, white flowers bloom during the summer months and are leaves. angled (not round) and woody. Flowers oval “bladders” that trap and the only part which breach the water’s surface. This species is are located directly on the stalk. They digest small aquatic creatures. commonly confused the invasive plant, Brazilian Elodea, consist of five to six purple petals which has been found in Minnesota. surrounding a yellow center.

Greater Duckweed (Spirodela polyrhiza) Star Duckweed (Lemnaceae trisulca) Watermeal (Wolffia spp.) Please Note: Duckweeds are tiny, free- Star, or “Forked”, Watermeal is one of You cannot consistently identify many plant species by floating plants which are duckweed can be the smallest flowering comparing a specimen to photographs. often mistaken for algae distinguished from other plants in the world. In Aquatic plants growing in public waters are property of the from afar. It may cover duckweeds by the shape of fact, this plant’s state and subject to regulation. Before attempting to control or the water’s surface with its leaf-like body (frond). In flowers can only be remove any aquatic plants, contact your local Minnesota thick, green clusters, but this species, the leaf body seen with a Department of Natural Resources office at (952) 496-4141. it is not interconnected is flattened with stalks. microscope! Plants are like algae. Duckweed typically consists of a leaf-like body Lateral fronds often remain composed of “Photographs, unless noted, are copyright Paul Skawinski and (frond) with small roots that hang down into the water. This attached to the parent frond, creating a tangled mass. asymmetrical globes—lacking roots, stems, and true leaves. excerpted from Aquatic Plants of the Upper Midwest– 2nd Edition, species of Duckweed can be differentiated by examination of This species may be confused with duckweeds, but it can be used with permission. This book is available through the University frond shape and its red color of the lower surface. distinguished by the absence of roots. of Wisconsin-Extension Lakes Program.”

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Mission: to manage and preserve the water resources of the Prior Lake-Spring Lake Watershed District to the best of our ability using input from our communities, sound engineering practices, and our ability to efficiently fund beneficial projects.