Potamogeton alpinus

Alpine pondweed

Family: Potamogetonaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Alpine pondweed is a California native perennial found in the Klamath Ranges, Sierra Nevada, Central Coast, and North Coast Ranges in ponds, lakes, and marshes at elevations of 1,300 to 2,350 meters. Flowering from July to September, this aquatic plant produces small, inconspicuous flowers in compact inflorescences less than 3 centimeters long. Growing with slender, rhizomatous stems up to 100 centimeters tall and few branches, it has a distinctive underwater growth pattern. Its underwater leaves are reddish, lanceolate to elliptic-oblong, 2 to 8 centimeters long and 1 to 2 centimeters wide, with 7 to 9 prominent veins and blunt tips. The fruits are small, approximately 2.5 millimeters long, with distinctive keeled edges.

Habitat: Uncommon. Ponds, lakes, marshes

Bloom period: Jul-Sep

Elevation: 1300-2350 m

Bioregions: KR, SNH, CCo, MP

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.