Potamogeton berchtoldii facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Potamogeton berchtoldii
Shoots of P. berchtoldii growing with milfoil and water crowfoot in a pond
Scientific classification
Genus:	Potamogeton
Species:	berchtoldii
Synonyms
Potamogeton fieberi Rouy Potamogeton groenlandicus Hagstr. Potamogeton lacunatus Hagstr.

Potamogeton berchtoldii, also known as small pondweed, is a type of plant that lives in water. It is a common plant found in many parts of the world.

What is Small Pondweed?

Small pondweed is a delicate plant with many thin leaves. It grows in a bushy shape. Unlike some plants, it does not have a root system that lasts all year. Instead, it dies back in winter. It forms special buds called turions. These buds help the plant survive the cold months.

Its stems are very thin, usually less than 60 centimeters (about 2 feet) long. The leaves are flat and typically 25 to 50 millimeters long. They are less than 2 millimeters wide. You might notice a wide band of air pockets along the middle of each leaf. The leaves can be pale green, olive green, or brownish green. Looking closely at the open leaf bases and shiny spots on the stem can help you identify this plant.

Small pondweed looks a lot like other Potamogeton species. It is especially similar to P. pusillus. Because they look so alike, it can be tricky to tell them apart.

How Small Pondweed Got Its Name

Small pondweed was first officially named by a German botanist named Franz Xaver Fieber. He gave it its scientific name in 1838. The plant's name, berchtoldii, honors a Czech botanist from the 1800s, Friedrich von Berchtold.

This plant is part of a group of similar thin-leaved pondweeds. This group includes P. pusillus, P. hillii, and P. ochreatus. Some scientists even think that small pondweed is just a different form of P. pusillus.

There are also different types, or subspecies, of small pondweed:

• Potamogeton berchtoldii subsp. berchtoldii
• Potamogeton berchtoldii subsp. clystocarpus
• Potamogeton berchtoldii subsp. gemmiparus

Sometimes, small pondweed can mix with other Potamogeton species. When this happens, they create new hybrid plants. These hybrids are quite rare to find in nature.

Where Small Pondweed Lives

Potamogeton berchtoldii grows in many different places around the world. You can find it in Europe, including Britain and Ireland. It also grows across North America, in countries like Canada and the USA. In Asia, it is found in places like China, Japan, and Russia. It also lives in parts of the Middle East.

Life in the Water

Small pondweed can live in many different types of water. It grows well in lakes, ponds, and ditches. You can also find it in slow-moving streams and rivers. Sometimes, it even appears in temporary pools or man-made places like cattle troughs.

This plant is very good at moving into new areas. It can quickly grow in new or disturbed habitats. It makes many turions and seeds. This helps it spread fast. However, in places where other strong plants are already growing, small pondweed might not compete as well.

In Britain, small pondweed is very common. People might not always notice it because it is small. Also, it is often confused with P. pusillus.

Small pondweed can handle many different water conditions. It does not like very acidic water. But it can survive in water with high nutrient levels, known as eutrophic conditions. However, it is not as tolerant of very high nutrients as its close relative, P. pusillus. Small pondweed is one of the few thin-leaved pondweeds that can grow in clear, low-nutrient lakes. In these lakes, it often grows in deeper water alongside other plants like Isoetes and Nitella.

Growing Small Pondweed

Small pondweed is not usually grown by people on purpose. However, it might show up on its own in new ponds. This often happens because birds carry its seeds or turions. It might not stay in a pond for a long time unless other plants are regularly removed. Because it is small and does not spread aggressively, it can be a good plant for a garden pond or an aquarium.