Curly leaf pondweed (Potamogeton crispus)

Category A weed

Pondweed family (Potamogetonaceae)

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Stem

  • 1-15 ft. long, flattened and channeled; branching can increase at the end of the stem, leading to matting

    Leaves

    • Olive green to reddish brown, slightly translucent; alternate, sessile, 1.5-4 in. long, narrow, with toothed margins; leaf margins are wavy with a conspicuous mid-vein; leaf tips are rounded or blunt

      Flower

      • Green inconspicuous flowers; stalk supporting the flower will grow 1 in. above water surface; seeds are nutlet-like structures

        Root

        • Rhizomes, pale yellow or reddish; will root at the nodes

          Other

          • Grows in ponds, lakes, streams, rivers, reservoirs, irrigation ditches and marshy areas; known to occur in Churchill, Douglas, Elko and Lyon counties
          • Perennial; grows as submersed aquatic plant; will grow from shore out to depths of 15 ft.
          • Spreads aggressively from fragments of roots and stems; produces seed, but seedlings rare

            Control

            • Mechanical harvesting can reduce plant density, but plants re-sprout from stem fragments; bottom barriers can be used to smother infested areas
            • Chemical controls must be labeled for water use: diquat, endothall, flumioxazin, fluridone, imazamox and others; check label for rates and water temperature requirements; large infestations should be treated a portion at a time to prevent low oxygen levels as plants decompose

              Images

              Mature plant
              		  
              Roots

              Flower
              Leaves