Plants of South Eastern New South Wales
Potamogeton ochreatus
Common name
Blunt pondweed
Family
Potamogetonaceae
Where found
Aquatic. In still to strongly flowing fresh water to 5 m deep in rivers, channels and lakes. Widespread.
Notes
Aquatic rhizomatous annual or perennial herb. Stems cylindrical or flattened, branched, to 5 m long. Leaves alternating along the stems, submerged, 2.5–13 cm long, 2–6 mm wide, translucent, with 3-5 principal longitudinal veins, margins entire, bases stem clasping or pointed, stipular sheath initially to 2 cm long, membranous and more or less sheathing the stem above the node, often disintegrating and becoming free from the stem, tips blunt to mucronate. Flowers 3–4 mm in diameter, with 4 'petals'. Flowers in a dense emergent spike, about 10-many-flowered, 15-30 mm long at the seeding stage. Flowering: Aug.–Apr.
A hybrid species derived from this and Potamogeton crispus has been described as Potamogeton x jacobsii. It was found at Narellan (without either parent), and could occur in other places.
All native plants on unleased land in the ACT are protected.
PlantNET description: http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=sp&name=Potamogeton~ochreatus (accessed 3 February, 2021)
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