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