Sago pondweed (Stuckenia pectinata, Fl. Deut. Volk: 713 (1912))

Family: Potamogetonaceae

Author: (L.) Börner

Bibliography: Fl. Deut. Volk: 713 (1912)

Year: 1912

Status: accepted

Rank: species

Genus: Stuckenia

Vegetable: False

Observations: Cosmopolitan

Description

Sago pondweed, scientifically known as Stuckenia pectinata and described in detail in the Flora of the German Democratic Republic (Fl. Deut. Volk: 713) in 1912, is a cosmopolitan species belonging to the Potamogetonaceae family. This aquatic plant is widespread and can be found in various freshwater environments across the globe.

Sago pondweed thrives in a range of conditions, from the still waters of ponds and lakes to the gentle currents of slow-moving rivers. Its adaptability to different habitats makes it a prevalent and resilient species. The plant’s delicate, ribbon-like leaves are typically bright green and can grow up to several feet long, forming dense underwater meadows that are crucial for the ecosystem.

These underwater meadows provide shelter and food for a variety of aquatic organisms, including fish and invertebrates. The sago pondweed’s dense growth also helps stabilize sediment and reduce water turbidity, contributing to the overall health of aquatic environments. During its flowering season, sago pondweed produces small, inconspicuous flowers that float on the water’s surface, facilitating cross-pollination by wind or water movement.

This plant plays a significant role in nutrient cycling within aquatic ecosystems. It is capable of uptaking large amounts of nutrients from the water, which can help mitigate eutrophication – a process that often leads to algal blooms and the degradation of water quality. Sago pondweed’s extensive root systems additionally play a vital role in anchoring the plant to the sediment, preventing erosion and maintaining the structure of the aquatic bed.

Ecologically, sago pondweed’s widespread presence showcases its importance in maintaining biodiversity and ecosystem stability. However, it is also susceptible to changes in water quality and habitat disturbances, which can negatively impact its growth and proliferation. Conservation efforts are essential to ensure that this valuable species continues to thrive in diverse aquatic environments around the world.

In summary, sago pondweed (Stuckenia pectinata) is an important aquatic plant known for its extensive distribution and significant ecological contributions. Its presence in freshwater habitats underscores its importance in supporting aquatic life, improving water quality, and maintaining the balance within aquatic ecosystems.

Common Names

Eng: broadleaf pondweed, sago pondweed, fennel pondweed, fennel-leaf pondweed, comb pondweed, fennel-leaved pondweed
Dan: børstebladet vandaks
Fra: potamot pectiné
Nld: schedefonteinkruid
Swe: borstnate
Nno: busttjørnaks, busttjønnaks
Sme: riesavihti
Jpn: リュウノヒゲモ
En: Sago pondweed, Comb pondweed, Fennel-leaved pondweed, Sago False Pondweed, Broadleaf pondweed, Fennel Pondweed, Fennel-leaf Pondweed
Be: Урэчнік грабеньчаты
Bg: Гребеновиден ръждавец
Ca: Llapó negre, Potamogèton pectinat
Zh: 龍鬚草
Cs: Rdest hřebenitý
Da: Børstebladet vandaks
Nl: Schedefonteinkruid
Et: Kamm-penikeel
Fi: Hapsivita
Fr: Potamot à feuilles pectinées, Potamot pectiné, Potamot de Suisse
De: Kamm-Laichkraut, Kammlaichkraut, Kammförmiges Laichkraut, Schweizer Laichkraut, Schweizerisches Laichkraut
It: Brasca delle lagune, Brasca elvetica
Ja: リュウノヒゲモ
Se: Riesavihti
No: Busttjønnaks
Nn: Busttjørnaks, Busttjønnaks
Pl: Rdestnica grzebieniasta
Ru: Рдест гребенчатый
Es: Lima
Sv: Borstnate
Zh-tw: 龍鬚草
Uk: Рдесник гребінчастий
Vi: Stuckenia pectinata
Cy: Dyfrllys blaenllym

Synonyms

• Potamogeton siculus (Bercht. & J.Presl)
• Potamogeton pectinatus var. latifolius (G.Mey.)
• Potamogeton tenuifolius (Kunth)
• Potamogeton lanceolatus (Mazziari)
• Potamogeton pectinatus f. spissus (Tiselius)
• Coleogeton pectinatus ((L.) Les & R.R.Haynes)
• Potamogeton pectinatus var. foliosus (Mert. & W.D.J.Koch ex Fieber)
• Potamogeton pectinatus f. sublatifolius (Hagstr.)
• Potamogeton pectinatus var. scoparius (Wallr.)
• Potamogeton pectinatus f. zosteraceus ((Fr.) Almq.)
• Potamogeton interruptus var. ungulatus (Druce)
• Potamogeton pectinatus f. scoparius ((Wallr.) Rchb.)
• Potamogeton leptanthus (Y.D.Chen)
• Potamogeton pectinatus f. interruptus ((Kit.) Hagstr.)
• Potamogeton vaginatus f. helveticus ((G.Fisch.) G.Fisch.)
• Potamogeton pectinatus (L.)
• Potamogeton balatonicus ((Gams) Soó)
• Potamogeton chakassiensis var. tenuior (Volobaev)
• Stuckenia mongolica ((A.Benn.) Klinkova)
• Potamogeton columbianus (Suksd.)
• Potamogeton miniatus (Y.D.Chen)
• Potamogeton vaillantii (Roem. & Schult.)
• Potamogeton livingstonei (A.Benn.)
• Potamogeton pectinatus f. laxus (Tiselius)
• Potamogeton pectinatus f. devistitus (Hagstr.)
• Potamogeton pectinatus f. subdrupaceus (G.Fisch.)
• Potamogeton borealis (Raf.)
• Buccaferrea pectinata ((L.) Bubani)
• Potamogeton pectinatus subsp. balatonicus ((Gams) Soó)
• Potamogeton pectinatus var. caespitosus ((Wimm. & Grab.) Mert. & W.D.J.Koch ex Fieber)
• Potamogeton marinus var. setaceus (Roth)
• Potamogeton pectinatus var. mongolicus (A.Benn.)
• Potamogeton marinus var. caespitosus (Wimm. & Grab.)
• Potamogeton pectinatus var. protensus (Wallr.)
• Potamogeton pectinatus f. submarinus ((Fr.) Hagstr.)
• Potamogeton acifolius (Ma)
• Potamogeton pectinatus var. tenuis (G.Mey.)
• Potamogeton pectinatus f. notabilis (Tiselius)
• Potamogeton diffusus (Herter)
• Potamogeton lucens f. longipedunculatus (Tiselius)
• Potamogeton pectinatus var. zosteraceus ((Fr.) Casp.)
• Potamogeton pectinatus var. gracilis (Kuzmin & Skvortsov)
• Potamogeton vaginatus subsp. helveticus ((G.Fisch.) Schinz & Thell.)
• Potamogeton pectinatus var. helveticus ((G.Fisch.) Glück)
• Stuckenia zosteracea ((Fr.) Tzvelev)
• Potamogeton filiformis var. borealis ((Raf.) H.St.John)
• Potamogeton pectinatus var. coronatus (Hagstr.)
• Potamogeton erhaiensis (Y.D.Chen)
• Potamogeton pectinatus f. acerosus (Hagstr.)
• Stuckenia pectinata var. interrupta ((Kit.) Chepinoga)
• Potamogeton flabellatus (Bab.)
• Potamogeton interruptus (Kit. ex Schult.)
• Potamogeton pectinatus f. pseudomarinus (A.Benn.)
• Potamogeton pectinatus f. zosteroides (G.Fisch.)
• Stuckenia filiformis subsp. borealis ((Raf.) Tzvelev & Elven)
• Potamogeton pectinatus f. coronatus ((Hagstr.) Hagstr.)
• Potamogeton pectinatus var. protensis (Wallr.)
• Potamogeton pectinatus var. setaceus (Wahlenb.)
• Stuckenia borealis ((Raf.) Holub)
• Potamogeton pectinatus subsp. chakassiensis (Kaschina)
• Potamogeton pectinatus var. vaillantii ((Roem. & Schult.) Lojac.)
• Potamogeton pectinatus f. vulgaris (Cham. & Schltdl.)
• Potamogeton pectinatus f. pinguis (Tiselius)
• Potamogeton pectinatus f. glaucescens (Cham. & Schltdl.)
• Potamogeton nanus (Y.D.Chen)
• Potamogeton pectinatus f. ramulosus (Hagstr.)
• Potamogeton marinus var. angustifolius (Wimm. & Grab.)
• Potamogeton pectinatus f. longipedunculatus (Tiselius)
• Potamogeton pectinatus subsp. flabellatus ((Bab.) Hook.f.)
• Spirillus interruptus ((Kit.) Nieuwl.)
• Potamogeton pectinatus subsp. helveticus ((G.Fisch.) Bertsch & F.Bertsch)
• Potamogeton pectinatus f. dichotomus ((Wallr.) Rchb.)
• Potamogeton pectinatus var. interruptus ((Kit.) Asch.)
• Potamogeton pectinatus var. flabellatus ((Bab.) Nyman)
• Potamogeton drupaceus (O.Lang)
• Potamogeton pectinatus var. dichotomus (Wallr.)
• Stuckenia intramongolica (Tzvelev)
• Potamogeton pectinatus subsp. mongolicus ((A.Benn.) Volobaev)
• Potamogeton angustifolius f. longipedunculatus ((Tiselius) A.A.Bobrov & Chemeris)
• Potamogeton vaginatus var. helveticus (G.Fisch.)
• Potamogeton pectinatus var. submarinus (Fr.)
• Potamogeton zosteraceus (Fr.)
• Potamogeton chakassiensis ((Kaschina) Volobaev)
• Potamogeton pectinatus f. geminatus (Hagstr.)
• Stuckenia helvetica ((G.Fisch.) Holub)
• Potamogeton pectinatus var. potensus (Wallr.)
• Potamogeton pusillus subsp. flabellatus ((Bab.) Hook.f.)
• Potamogeton pectinatus f. ulvensis (Hagstr.)
• Potamogeton filicaulis (Schur)
• Potamogeton helveticus var. balatonicus (Gams)
• Potamogeton pectinatus f. incrustatus (Tiselius)
• Potamogeton marinus (L.)
• Potamogeton pectinatus f. potensus ((Wallr.) Rchb.)
• Potamogeton intramongolicus (Ma)
• Spirillus pectiniformis (Nieuwl.)
• Potamogeton exstipulatus (Wolfg.)
• Stuckenia chakassiensis ((Kaschina) Klinkova)
• Stuckenia marina ((L.) Tzvelev)
• Potamogeton pectinatus var. ramosissimus (Mert. & W.D.J.Koch ex Fieber)
• Potamogeton bracteatus (Y.D.Chen)
• Potamogeton interruptus var. diffusus (Druce)
• Potamogeton pectinatus var. diffusus (Hagstr.)
• Potamogeton filiformis subvar. helveticus ((G.Fisch.) Asch. & Graebn.)
• Potamogeton pectinatus var. ungulatus (Hagstr.)
• Potamogeton pectinatus f. lutiusculus (Hagstr.)
• Potamogeton pectinatus f. ungulatus (Soó)
• Potamogeton pectinatus f. brachypus (Hagstr.)
• Potamogeton helveticus ((G.Fisch.) W.Koch)
• Potamogeton angustissimus (Kunth)
• Potamogeton pusillus var. interruptus ((Kit.) J.Presl & C.Presl)

Distribution

• Afghanistan (native)
• Alabama (native)
• Alaska (native)
• Albania (native)
• Alberta (native)
• Aleutian Is. (native)
• Algeria (native)
• Altay (native)
• Amur (native)
• Angola (native)
• Arizona (native)
• Arkansas (native)
• Assam (native)
• Austria (native)
• Baleares (native)
• Baltic States (native)
• Bangladesh (native)
• Belarus (native)
• Belgium (native)
• Belize (native)
• Bolivia (native)
• Botswana (native)
• British Columbia (native)
• Bulgaria (native)
• Burundi (native)
• Buryatiya (native)
• California (native)
• Cape Provinces (native)
• Caprivi Strip (native)
• Central American Pac (native)
• Central European Rus (native)
• Chile Central (native)
• China North-Central (native)
• China South-Central (native)
• China Southeast (native)
• Chita (native)
• Colombia (native)
• Colorado (native)
• Connecticut (native)
• Corse (native)
• Cuba (native)
• Cyprus (native)
• Czechoslovakia (native)
• Denmark (native)
• East European Russia (native)
• Ecuador (native)
• Egypt (native)
• El Salvador (native)
• Eritrea (native)
• Ethiopia (native)
• Finland (native)
• Florida (native)
• France (native)
• Free State (native)
• Galápagos (native)
• Germany (native)
• Great Britain (native)
• Greece (native)
• Guatemala (native)
• Gulf States (native)
• Hainan (native)
• Haiti (native)
• Hungary (native)
• Idaho (native)
• Illinois (native)
• India (native)
• Indiana (native)
• Inner Mongolia (native)
• Iowa (native)
• Iran (native)
• Iraq (native)
• Ireland (native)
• Irkutsk (native)
• Italy (native)
• Japan (native)
• Kamchatka (native)
• Kansas (native)
• Kazakhstan (native)
• Kentucky (native)
• Kenya (native)
• Kirgizstan (native)
• Korea (native)
• Krasnoyarsk (native)
• Kriti (native)
• Krym (native)
• Kuril Is. (native)
• KwaZulu-Natal (native)
• Lebanon-Syria (native)
• Lesser Sunda Is. (native)
• Libya (native)
• Louisiana (native)
• Madagascar (native)
• Magadan (native)
• Maine (native)
• Malawi (native)
• Manchuria (native)
• Manitoba (native)
• Maryland (native)
• Masachusettes (native)
• Mauritania (native)
• Mauritius (native)
• Mexico Central (native)
• Mexico Gulf (native)
• Mexico Northeast (native)
• Mexico Northwest (native)
• Mexico Southeast (native)
• Mexico Southwest (native)
• Michigan (native)
• Minnesota (native)
• Missouri (native)
• Mongolia (native)
• Montana (native)
• Morocco (native)
• Mozambique (native)
• Myanmar (native)
• Namibia (native)
• Nansei-shoto (native)
• Nebraska (native)
• Nepal (native)
• Netherlands (native)
• Nevada (native)
• New Brunswick (native)
• New Caledonia (native)
• New Hampshire (native)
• New Jersey (native)
• New Mexico (native)
• New York (native)
• New Zealand North (native)
• New Zealand South (native)
• Newfoundland (native)
• North Carolina (native)
• North Caucasus (native)
• North Dakota (native)
• North European Russi (native)
• Northern Provinces (native)
• Northwest European R (native)
• Northwest Territorie (native)
• Norway (native)
• Nova Scotia (native)
• Ohio (native)
• Oklahoma (native)
• Oman (native)
• Ontario (native)
• Oregon (native)
• Pakistan (native)
• Palestine (native)
• Panamá (native)
• Pennsylvania (native)
• Peru (native)
• Philippines (native)
• Poland (native)
• Portugal (native)
• Primorye (native)
• Prince Edward I. (native)
• Qinghai (native)
• Québec (native)
• Rhode I. (native)
• Romania (native)
• Rwanda (native)
• Réunion (native)
• Sakhalin (native)
• Sardegna (native)
• Saskatchewan (native)
• Saudi Arabia (native)
• Sicilia (native)
• Sinai (native)
• Socotra (native)
• Solomon Is. (native)
• South Dakota (native)
• South European Russi (native)
• Spain (native)
• Sri Lanka (native)
• Sudan (native)
• Sulawesi (native)
• Sumatera (native)
• Sweden (native)
• Switzerland (native)
• Tadzhikistan (native)
• Taiwan (native)
• Tanzania (native)
• Tennessee (native)
• Texas (native)
• Tibet (native)
• Transcaucasus (native)
• Tunisia (native)
• Turkey (native)
• Turkey-in-Europe (native)
• Turkmenistan (native)
• Tuva (native)
• Uganda (native)
• Ukraine (native)
• Utah (native)
• Uzbekistan (native)
• Venezuela (native)
• Vermont (native)
• Virginia (native)
• Washington (native)
• West Himalaya (native)
• West Siberia (native)
• West Virginia (native)
• Wisconsin (native)
• Wyoming (native)
• Xinjiang (native)
• Yakutskiya (native)
• Yemen (native)
• Yugoslavia (native)
• Yukon (native)
• Zambia (native)
• Zaïre (native)
• Zimbabwe (native)
• Hawaii (introduced)

Additional Images

Leaf

Taken Sep 15, 2007 by Photoflora – Benoit BOCK (©)

Taken Jun 17, 2021 by Collin O (cc-by-sa)

Taken May 6, 2022 by Fisherman Instant (cc-by-sa)

Taken Nov 12, 2022 by Souleymane Bary (cc-by-sa)

Taken Apr 16, 2022 by Trap Hers (cc-by-sa)

Fruit

Taken Jul 15, 2007 by Photoflora – Benoit BOCK (©)

Taken Sep 9, 2017 by Yoan MARTIN (cc-by-sa)

Taken Sep 5, 2014 by Tela Botanica − Marie PORTAS (cc-by-sa)

Taken Sep 9, 2017 by Yoan MARTIN (cc-by-sa)

Taken Sep 5, 2014 by Tela Botanica − Marie PORTAS (cc-by-sa)

Habit

Taken Sep 5, 2014 by Tela Botanica − Marie PORTAS (cc-by-sa)

Taken Aug 25, 2010 by Tela Botanica − Mathieu MENAND (cc-by-sa)

Taken Sep 5, 2014 by Tela Botanica − Marie PORTAS (cc-by-sa)

Taken Sep 5, 2014 by Tela Botanica − Marie PORTAS (cc-by-sa)

Taken Nov 2, 2009 by Karina Yager (cc-by-sa)

Bark

Taken Jun 8, 2012 by Martin Bishop (cc-by-sa)

Flower

Taken Aug 16, 2020 by Daniel Bourget (cc-by-sa)

Taken Aug 13, 2020 by Daniel Bourget (cc-by-sa)

Taken Aug 15, 2003 by Photoflora – Jean-Luc TASSET (©)

Taken Aug 15, 2005 by Photoflora – Jean-Luc TASSET (©)

Taken May 6, 2022 by Fisherman Instant (cc-by-sa)

© copyright of the Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

© copyright of the Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

© copyright of the Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Other

Taken Sep 15, 2007 by Photoflora – Benoit BOCK (©)

Taken Sep 15, 2007 by Photoflora – Benoit BOCK (©)

Taken Sep 15, 2007 by Photoflora – Benoit BOCK (©)

Taken Jun 30, 1850 by Tela Botanica − Herbier PONTARLIER-MARICHAL (cc-by-sa)

Taken Jan 1, 1970 by Photoflora – L’Abbé COSTE (©)

Sources

• WFO (No URL)
• IPNI (No URL)
• POWO (http://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:77099639-1)
• GBIF (https://www.gbif.org/species/7871428)
• PlantNet (https://identify.plantnet.org/species/the-plant-list/Stuckenia pectinata (L.) Börner)

Specifications

Growth habit: Forb/herb

Growth

Ph maximum: 6.5

Ph minimum: 5.5

Light: 7

Atmospheric humidity: 9

Bloom months: [‘may’, ‘jun’, ‘jul’, ‘aug’, ‘sep’]

Soil nutriments: 7

Soil salinity: 1