TION BULLETIN 520

January, 1982

i\^,520 quatic Vascular Plants of New England:
_ art 4. Juncaginaceae, Scheuchzeriaceae,
Butomaceae, Hydrocharitaceae

by
G. E. Crow and C. B. Hellquist Q (Q 3d

Library

Library

ilniyersity of New HampsRic

IXirham, N. R 03824

NEW HAMPSHIRE

AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION

UNIVERSITY OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

DURHAM, NEW HAMPSHIRE

TION BULLETIN 520

January, 1982

V\t?.52^ quatic Vascular Plants of New England:
_ art 4. Juncaginaceae, Scheuchzeriaceae,
Butomaceae, Hydrocharitaceae

by
G. E. Crow and C. B. Hellquist Q (Q SCl

tiBRARY

Library
Jiniyersity of New Haoopsfiii
JXirham, N. a 03824

NEW HAMPSHIRE

AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION

UNIVERSITY OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

DURHAM, NEW HAMPSHIRE

■ ■- •■' Psm-.'-hir'i I iKi.

h

Y\o. 6BO ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

We wish to thank Drs. Harold St. John and Ronald L. Stuckey for
their helpful comments on the manuscript. We are also grateful to the
curators of the following herbaria for use of their collections: BOSC,
BRU, CONN, CUW, GH, HNH, KIRI, MASS, MAINE, NCBS, NHA,
NEBC, VT, YU. A special thanks is extended to Pamela Bruns who
prepared the illustrations.

Programs of the New Hampshire Agricultural Experiment Station are open to all
persons without regard to race, color, national origin or sex. The University of New
Hampshire is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.

IINH LIBRARY

3 MtDD DDblfi ^7^fl

ABSTRACT

This paper is the fourth in a series of reports on the aquatic and
wetland flora of New England. It treats all species of the Juncagina-
ceae, Scheuchzeriaceae, Butomaceae, and Hydrocharitaceae occur-
ring in New England and includes keys, comments on taxonomy and
nomenclature, habitat and distributional information, water chemis-
try data, illustrations and dot maps. Those species regarded as rare
and endangered in the New England Region or in one or more of the six
New England states are also noted.

One species included here, Triglochin gaspense Leith and Love,
has been only recently described and is therefore absent from most
standard manuals.

KEY WORDS: Aquatic plants. New England Flora, Taxonomy, Juncaginaceae,
Scheuchzeriaceae, Butomaceae, Hydrocharitaceae, Triglochin, Scheuchzeria, Butomus,
Vallisneria, Egeria, Elodea, Arrow-grass, Flowering Rush, Tapegrass, Eelgrass,
Waterweed.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION : 1

JUNCAGINACEAE 2

Triglochin 2

Key to Species 2

Triglochin gaspense 2

Triglochin palustre 2

Triglochin maritimum 3

Literature Cited and Selected References 3

SCHEUCHZERIACEAE 3

Scheuchzeria 3

Scheuchzeria palustris 3

BUTOMACEAE 3

Butomus 9

Butomus umbellatus 9

Selected References 9

HYDROCHARITACEAE 10

Vallisneria 10

Vallisneria americana 10

Egeria 10

Egeria densa 14

Elodea 14

Key to Species 14

Elodea nuttallii 14

Elodea canadensis 15

Selected References 15

Aquatic Vascular Plants of New England:

Part 4. Juncaginaceae, Scheuchzeriaceae,

Butomaceae, Hydrocharitaceae

by
G. E. Crowi and C. B. Hellquist2

INTRODUCTION

This is the fourth in a series of reports on the aquatic and wetland
flora of New England. These reports are being prepared to aid conser-
vationists, fish and game personnel, consultants, botanists and stu-
dents in the identification of aquatic plants. The coverage is strictly
New England but is of value throughout the northeast. Data have been
gathered from herbaria in New England and from personal field work.

Chemical data presented represent samples from many waters
throughout New England. The alkalinity readings are total alkalinity,
expressed as milligrams per liter (mg/1) CaCOg. The number of obser-
vations are included in parentheses following alkalinity and pH
values. Since pH and alkalinity vary greatly during the day, the values
are only indicative of the water quality. Chloride values are given
where data are available and of value.

The rare and endangered plants lists referred to are those prepared
for each of the six New England states by the New England Botanical
Club in cooperation with the United States Fish and Wildlife Service,
Office of Endangered Species, Newton Corner, MA (RI — Church and
Champlin, 1978; MA — Coddington and Field, 1978; VT — Country-
man, 1978; ME — Eastman, 1978; CT — Mehrhoff, 1978; NH — Storks
and Crow, 1978). Taxa indicated as rare, threatened or endangered for
the entire New England Region are also noted (Crow et al., 1981, Rho-
dora 83: 259-299).

We invite comments and/or criticisms on this treatment. Informa-
tion on any species omitted or any known localities not documented by
us will be welcomed. If anyone is interested in specific localities of any
of the species indicated on the dot maps, please contact us.

Dr. G. E. Crow, Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Nesmith Hall, Univer-
sity of New Hampshire, Durham, NH 03824.

Dr. C. B. Hellquist, Department of Biology, Boston State College, 625 Huntington
Avenue, Boston, MA 02115.

JUNCAGINACEAE

Triglochin Arrow-grass

Plants of freshwater and saltwater marshes, perennial, arising
from a short rootstock, some producing stolons; leaves slightly fleshy
and rush-like; flowers in a spike-like raceme; fruit follicular, splitting
into 3-6 carpels from a persistent central axis.

Key to Species

1. Leaves typically equaling scape (fig. 1 A), very slender, curving out-
wards from the sheath at 30-40 degree angle (fig. IB); spike 2-7 cm
long.
1. T. gaspense

1. Leaves typically shorter than scape (figs. 2A,E), slender to thickish,
erect from sheath (fig. 2B); spike 6-45 cm long.

2. Carpels and stigmas 3; mature fruit 1.0 mm thick, about 5-7 times
as long as broad; stolons present, filiform, bearing small bulbs.

2. T. palustre

2. Carpels and stigmas 6; mature fruit 2.0-3.0 mm thick, about 2 times
as long as broad; stolons absent.
3. T. maritimum

\. Triglochin gaspense Lieth and D. Love Fig. 1, Map 1

Rare in salt marshes of Washington County, Maine. This dwarfed
species has been recently described (Love and Lieth, 1961) from eastern
North American and should be looked for along the coast of northern
New England where it may be more abundant than reported. In con-
trast to the clumped habit of T. maritimum, \)\3.r\tsoiT. gaspense ier\d
to form lawn-like patches in the salt marsh. Range extends locally
from Newfoundland south to the Gaspe'' Peninsula, Quebec, Prince
Edward Island, New Brunswick, and Washington Co., Maine.

2. Triglochin palustre L. Fig. 2, Map 2

Widely scattered along coastal marshes of Maine, rare inland
along the Aroostook River where it was last reported in 1940. Two his-
torical records from Rhode Island are known, the most recent being
1878. Range extends from Greenland and Labrador west to Alaska,
south to Rhode Island, southern New York, northwestern Pennsylva-
nia, northern Ohio, Illinois, Nebraska, Colorado, New Mexico, and
California.

3. Triglochin maritimum L. Fig. 2, Map 3

Common in coastal marshes and rare inland in freshwater
marshes of New England. This species was last found inland in 1935 in
Maine. Range extends from Labrador west to Alaska, south to Dela-
ware, western New York, northwestern Pennsylvania, northern Ohio,
northern Illinois, Nebraska, Colorado, New Mexico, and California.

Literature Cited and Selected References

Fernald, M. L. 1903. Some variations in Triglochin maritima. Rhodora
5: 174-175.

Love, A. and H. Lieth. 1961. Triglochin gaspense, a new species of
arrow grass. Canad. J. Bot. 39: 1261-1272.

Love, A. and D. Love. 1958. Biosystematics of Triglochin maritimum
agg. Natur. Canad. 85: 156-165.

SCHEUCHZERIACEAE

Scheuchzeria

Plants of bogs and peaty shores; growing from creeping jointed
rootstocks; leaves linear, grass-like, broadly sheathing at base, tubu-
lar at the apex; flowers borne on a loose receme; fruit an inflated follicle.

1. Scheuchzeria palustris L. Fig. 3, Map 4

Widely scattered in Sphagnum bogs in New England. This species
is often overlooked when not in flower or fruit. The best diagnostic
character for sterile plants is the terminal pore at the tip fo the leaf.
North American plants belong to variety americana Fern, and differ
from the Eurasian plants in having larger fruits with beaked follicles.
Range extends from Newfoundland west to Manitoba and Washing-
ton, south to New Jersey, Pennsylvania, northern Ohio, northern Illi-
nois, northern Iowa, Nebraska, New Mexico, and California.

Rare and endangered plant lists: Vermont, Connecticut

BUTOMACEAE

Plants of shallow water and marshes. Perennial, arising from a
fleshy rootstock; leaves erect or floating; flowers pink, perfect, numer-
ous, borne in an umbel; carpels 6, separate, connate at the very base;
fruit a whorl of follicles with long beaks.

D

Figure 1
Triglochin gaspense: A. habit, x Vz. B. leaf sheaths, x
2. C. flowers, x 3. D. fruits, x 3.

H

sheath

Figure 2
Triglochin maritimum: A. habit, x 1/6. B. Leaf
sheath, x 2. C. flower, x 3. D. fruit, x 3.
Triglochin palustre: E. habit, x 1/6. F. sheaths, x 2. G.
flowers, X 3. H. fruit, x 3.

Figure 3
Scheuchzeriapalustris: A. habit of flowering plant, x
'/2. B. habit of fruiting plant, x '/j. C. habit of sterile
plant, X '/«. D. flower, x 3'/<j. E. fruit, x 1. F. leaf tip with
terminal pore, x S'/j.

C

Q)

r I

&

^ ?

v

a^

^^.

Ma
'ochin

_^

tao

^^

k

\\ \ "^

e^

8

Butomus (Flow^ering Rush)

1. Butomus umbellatus L. Fig. 4, Map 5

Common in marshes and shores along Lake Champlain and its
tributaries; rare elsewhere. The oldest specinien on file was collected in
1929 from Orwell, Vermont along Lake Champlain. This species is
naturalized from Eurasia and is spreading rapidly throughout the
marshes in the Lake Champlain Valley. However, it does not appear
to be crowding out other species. A submersed, non-flowering form,
forma vallisneriifolius (Sagorski) Gluck is often in streams. Range ex-
tends from the St. Lawrence River system in Quebec, Lake Champlain
Valley of Vermont and New York, Connecticut River Valley of Con-
necticut, westward along the Great Lakes to New York, Ohio, Michi-
gan, Minnesota, Wisconsin and widely scattered locations in North
Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, Idaho, and Manitoba.

alkalinity: mean 95.8 mg/1; range 55.0-153.0 mg/1; (5)
pH: mean 7.5; range 7.3-7.6; (5)

Selected References

Anderson, L. C, C. D.Zeis, and S. F. Alam. 1974. Phytogeography and
possible origins oi Butomus in North America. Bull. Torrey Bot.
Club 101: 292-296.

Core, E. L. 1941. Butomus umbellatus in America. Ohio J. Sci. 41: 79-85.

Countryman, W. D. 1970. The history, spread and present distribution
of some immigrant aquatic weeds in New England. Hyacinth
Control. J. 8: 50-52.

Countryman, W.D. 1976. Lake Champlain's inland sea and the distri-
bution of aquatic plants. Proc. Lake Champlain Basin Environ-
mental Conference 3: 85-91.

Godfread, C. and W. T. Barker. 1975. Butomaceae: A new family
record for North Dakota. Rhodora 77: 160-161.

Muenscher, W. C. 1930. Butomus umbellatus in the Lake Champlain
Basin. Rhodora 32: 19-20.

Staniforth, R. J. and K. A. Frege. 1980. Flowering rush (Butomus um-
bellatus) in the Canadian prairies. Canad. Field-Naturalist 94:
333-336.

Stuckey, R. L. 1968. Distributional history of Butomus umbellatus
(flowering rush) in the western Lake Erie and Lake St. Clair re-
gion. Mich. Bot. 7: 134-142.

10

HYDROCHARITACEAE

1. Leaves basal, long, linear and ribbon-like (fig. 5A,E) with a broad
lacunae band (fig. 5G).

Vallisneria

1. Leaves cauline, short, opposite or whorled, without a lacunae band.
2. Upper leaves in whorls of 4 (-6), occasionally more; leaves L2-4.0
cm long.

Egeria

2. Upper leaves in whorls of 3 (-2); leaves 0.6-L7 cm long.

Elodea

Vallisneria (Tapegrass, Eelgrass)

Submersed perennial plants of freshwater; leaves basal, long and
ribbon-like; monoecious; pistillate flowers solitary, sessile, enclosed in
a tubular spathe, reaching surface by peduncle elongation; staminate
flowers numerous, enclosed in spathes borne on short stalks, released
and floating to the surface; fruit elongate, cylindrical, peduncle recoil-
ing after fertilization, submersing fruit.

1. Vallisneria americana Michx. Fig. 5, Map 6

Common in acid and alkaline waters of New England. Sterile
plants of Vallisneria and forms oi Sagittaria with ribbon-like leaves
are easily confused. Thieret (1977) notes that Vallisneria does not pro-
duce milky juice (characteristic in Sagittaria) and rhizomes of Vallis-
neria consist of only a single internode between rosettes and they lack
scales-leaves. Range extends from southern New Brunswick west to
North Dakota and Nebraska, south to Florida, Texas, New Mexico,
and Arizona; introduced in Washington.

alkalinity: mean 33.5 mg/1; range 3.0-115.5 mg/1; (40)
pH: mean 7.4; range 5.8-10.2; (38)

Egeria (Waterweed)

Submersed or floating perennial plant of freshwater; leaves sessile
in whorls or 4 (-6) along the terete stem; staminate flowers in spathes,
borne in upper leaf axils, raised to the surface of the water on a thread-
like hypanthium; pistillate plants unknown in New England.

11

KK

V

^K

Figure 4
Butomus umbellatus: A. habit of submersed plant, x
Vs. B. habit of emersed plant, x Vs. C. plant base, x Va. D.
flo>ver, x 1. E. fruit, x 1.

12

Figure 5
Vallisneria americana: A. habit of staminate plant, x
'/». B. habit of pistillate plant, x '/t. C. staminate
spathe, X 1. D. staminate flower, x 6. E. pistillate
flower, X l.F. fruit, X '/i.G. portion of leaf showing la-
cunae bands, x 1.

13

s

<W

0

•««

^j

r i

^
Wf

afc

s!^'

CB 3

i

o

iii

i^"^ <3

3

14

1. Egeria densa Planch. Fig. 6, Map 7

Rare plant of ponds in New England. This common aquarium
plant has been introduced into North America from South America.
Cold weather does not seem to adversely affect it once introduced into a
pond. Populations are occasionally established at widely scattered
areas, reproducing vegetatively. Occurring sporadically from Ver-
mont and Massachusetts west to Illinois, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklaho-
ma, south to Florida and Texas; Arizona, California, and Oregon.

Elodea (Waterweed)

Submersed perennial plant of streams, ponds and lakes; leaves in
whorls of 3 (or 2), along the stem; dioecious or monoecious; flowers with
3 sepals and 3 petals; staminate flowers with the filaments united into
a short column; pistillate flowers raised to the surface by an elongated
hypanthium or sessile, but on maturity breaking loose, floating to the
surface where buds open and the sepals diverge; fruit leathery, ovoid
capsule, few seeded.

Key to Species

1. Leaves generally 0.3-1.5 mm wide, pointed at tip (fig. 7B), not dense-
ly overlapping toward stem apex (fig. 7A); staminate flowers en-
closed in sessile spathes, released, floating to the surface at anthesis.

1. E. nuttallii

1. Leaves generally 1.0-5.0 mm wide, blunt at tip (fig. 71), not densely
overlapping at tip (fig. 7F); staminate flowers enclosed in stalked
spathes, reaching the surface at anthesis by elongation of hypan-
thium.
2. E. canadensis

1. Elodea nuttallii (Planch.) St. John Fig. 7, Map 8

Common in acidic to moderately alkaline water of streams, lakes,
and ponds in New England. Range extends from northern Maine and
southern Quebec west to Idaho, south to North Carolina, Mississippi,
Oklahoma, and New Mexico.

alkalinity: mean 23.5 mg/1; range 5.0-108.5 mg/1; (38)
pH: mean 6.9; range 5.6-8.9; (36)

15

2. Elodea canadensis Michx. Fig. 7, Map 9

Generally common in alkaline lakes, ponds and streams of New
England. Staminate plants are rarely encountered and have leaves
which tend to be longer and more linear or lance-oblong than the pistil-
late plants. Range extends from Quebec west to Saskatchewan and
Washington, south to North Carolina, Alabama, Iowa, Texas, New
Mexico, Arizona, and California.

Rare and endangered plant list: New Hampshire

alkalinity: mean 67.7 mg/1; range 10.0-153.0 mg/1; (64)
pH: mean 7.6; range 6.5-10.2; (60)

Literature Cited and
Selected References

Countryman, W. D. 1970. The history, spread and present distribution
of some immigrant aquatic weeds in New England. Hyacinth
Control J. 8: 50-52.

Fernald, M. L. 1918. the diagnostic character of Vallisneria americana.
Rhodora20: 108-110.

Hellquist, C. B. 1972. Range extensions of vascular aquatic plants in
New England. Rhodora 74: 131-141.

Kausik, S. B. 1939. Pollination and its influence on the behavior of the
pistillate flower in Vallisneria spiralis. Amer. J. Bot. 26: 207-211.

Knowlton, C. H. 1940. Two introduced plants. Rhodora 42: 524-525.

Lawrence, D. K. 1976. Morphological variation in Elodea in western
Massachusetts: field and laboratory studies. Rhodora 78: 739-749.

Marie- Victorin, F. 1931. L'Anacharis canadensis. Histoire et solution
d'un imbroglio taxonomique. Contr. Lab. Bot. Univ. Montreal 18:
1-43.

Marie- Victorin, F. 1943. Les Vallisneries americaines. Contr. Inst. Bot.
Univ. Montreal 46: 1-38.

St. John, H. 1920. The genus Elodea in New England. Rhodora 22: 17-29.

St. John, H. 1965. Monograph of the genus Elodea: part 4. Summary.
Rhodora 67: 1-35; 155-180.

Thieret, J. W. 1971. Observations on some aquatic plants in northwest-
ern Minnesota. Mich. Bot. 10: 117-124.

Wylie, R. B. 1913. A long-stalked Elodea flower. Bull. Lab. Nat. Hist.
State Univ. Iowa 6: 43-52.

Wylie, R. B. 1917. The pollination of Vallisneria spiralis. Bot. Gaz.
(Crawfordsville) 63: 135-145.

16

Figure 6
Egeria densa: A. habit, x '/j. B. portion of plant with
staminate flowers, x 1. C. leaf, x 1.

17

Figure 7
Elodea nuttallii: A. habit, x '/2. B. leaf, x 2 '/a. C. pistil-
late flo^ver, x 5. D. staminate flower, x 5. E. stami-
nate bud with spathe, x 5.

Elodea canadensis: F. habit, x '/2. G. staminate flower
with spathe, x 5. H. pistillate flower, x 5. 1, leaf, x 2Vi.

18

19

20

Station Bulletins of Botanical Interest

Grasses of New Hampshire. I. Tribes Poeae (Festuceae) and Triticeae
(Hordeae). A. R. Hodgdon, G. E. Crow, and F. L. Steele. Bull. No.
512. 1979.

The Flora of Plum Island, Essex County, Massachusetts. M. J.
McDonnell. Bull. No. 513. 1979.

Aquatic Vascular Plants of New England: Part 1. Zosteraceae, Pota-
mogetonaceae, Zannichelliaceae, Najadaceae. C. B. Hellquistand
G. E. Crow. Bull. No. 515. 1980.

Aquatic Vascular Plants of New England: Part 2. Typhaceae and
Sparganiaceae. G. E. Crow and C. B. Hellquist. Bull. No. 517. 1981.

Aquatic Vascular Plants of New England: Part 3. Alismataceae. C. B.
Hellquist and G. E. Crow. Bull. No. 518. 1981.

Sullivan

Bennington

Fairfield

Grand Isle -^^Franklin .^^^^^^^ ^ \Coos

jU\ , — -J <,csse.

Lamoille — V4 '-, ""-;, / >

Chittenden
Caledonia
Washington

) Franklin /

Berkshire^— L- i"\ > '-'"'

jHa^sf,rreJ!^°'""^' /

Barnstable

■Nantucket

A'. . . ,

^Bristol, MA
Windham\ ^Bristol, Rl
^Middlesex I 1 lyvewporf
Providence
Washington