A Gallery of White Lake’s Aquatic Macrophyte Community

Bulrush  Found mostly along shallow margins in water < 3 ft deep  Represented by several species, including Scirpus pungens (l.) and Scirpus americanus (r.), the latter readily distinguishable by triangular stem  Highly desirable as habitat and for erosion control, but unacceptable in swimming areas; seeds are important waterfowl food

Bushy pondweed  Leaves opposite but with bundles of other leaves at the base of each leaf, giving the appearance of being whorled; leaves inches in length  Generally beneficial  More than one species from the Najas family, but all similar in appearance

Cattails  Left: common cattail (Typha latifolia); right: narrow leaf cattail (Typha augustifolia); frequently hybridize, forming Typha xglauca  Narrow leaf cattail and hybrids displace common cattail and are often invasive  Male and female parts of flower are separated on the stems of narrow leaf cattail  Beneficial as habitat, for erosion control, as a natural visual screen and as muskrat food source; not desirable in swimming areas; can spread rapidly when water levels change; tolerant of variation in soil moisture (seasonal standing water) Separate male and female parts

Muskgrass/Stonewort  Brittle, rough texture; short leaves; produces musky odor when crushed  Chara family of macro algae; not rooted  Highly desirable, except when thick mats develop in swimming areas  Similar in appearance to undesirable starry stonewort

Clasping leaf pondweed  inch leaves wrap around stem, hence the name  Systematic name: Potamogeton richardsonii  Generally desirable, but can form dense beds  Easily confused with the undesirable Curly leaf pondweed, which has leaves with finely toothed edges not present on clasping leaf  Shares many attributes with White stem pondweed

Coontail  Leaves have coarse serrations and form whorls around stem that grow more closely packed towards upper stem ends  Has desirable characteristics as habitat but can form very dense beds to the detriment of other species  Not rooted, although lower parts may be covered by surface sediments, and thus spreads through mechanical disruption  Systematic name: Ceratophyllum demersum

Eurasian water milfoil Generally undesirable as habitat; tendency to form heavy beds that emerge from surface and interfere with navigation and other recreational uses; fragile and easily spread by mechanical disruption Not always readily distinguishable from native milfoil, with which it also forms hybrids with mixed characteristics Systematic name: Myriophyllum spicatum

Eel grass/Wild celery  Long, ribbon-like leaves emerging from a rooted base; reproductive parts borne on helical threads extending to surface  Highly desirable as habitat and food for water fowl  Systematic name: Vallisneria americana  Resistant to herbicides and spreads when they are used to control other plants

Fern-leaf pondweed  Leaves extending in nearly opposite directions in a single plane so that the entire plant appears somewhat flat, especially when seen in water  Generally beneficial; good fish habitat  Systematic name: Potamogeton robbinsii

Illinois pondweed  Leaves inches with sharp tips  Almost always beneficial; good habitat and waterfowl forage  Tends to grow in diverse communities with other species  Systematic name: Potamogeton illinoensis  Very similar to American pondweed (Potamogeton nodosus) Prominent stipule

Native milfoil  Similar in appearance and growth characteristics to invasive Eurasian water milfoil (EWM)  Native milfoils are more subject to predation by indigenous milfoil weevils than EWM and tend to be less of a nuisance as a result  Hybrids with EWM exhibit mixed characteristics; genotyping required! But…there is often sufficient overlap in leaflet counts to make clear distinctions difficult

Sago pondweed Sago pondweed  Leaves 2 or more inches with sharp tips; tends to tall, bushy growth, often extending to the water surface, where it can create a nuisance  Excellent habitat for small invertebrates and as fish forage  Subject to biological controls over time but tends to spread when other species are controlled with herbicides  Systematic name: Stukenia pectinata (formerly Potamogeton pectinatus)

Thin leaf pondweeds  Consists of many Potamogeton species with inch thready leaves, appearing somewhat sparse and fragile  Generally grows together in mixed beds with other species, providing desirable fish habitat; valuable as food source for waterfowl  Seldom grows to surface; largely beneficial with no significant negative characteristics

Variable pondweed  Submerged leaves vary in size and shape, hence the name; sometimes puts out floating leaves that are larger and wider  Desirable species growing in mixed beds with Potamogeton species, and others  Systematic name: Potamogeton gramineus

Waterweed/Elodea  Beneficial as habitat and food source  Low recreational impact  Systematic name: Elodea canadensis  Closely resembles the invasive and highly undesirable Hydrilla, which usually has up to 5 leaves in each whorl Never more than 3 leaves in a whorl

White water lily  Distinctive, lotus-like flowers with pleasing fragrance  Several Nymphaea species of similar appearance  Note absence of distinct mid-rib in leaves, which emerge at the surface on a single stem  Grows from a large root buried in the lake bottom  Usually found in water < 5 ft deep, where organic matter is abundant in sediments  Highly desirable, except as an impediment to recreation when present in large beds

White stem pondweed  Similar to clasping leaf pondweed in most respects; tall, leafy growth pattern  Can form dense beds that reach the water surface, sometimes interfering with recreational uses  Characterized by inch submersed leaves as well as stem color  Systematic name: Potamogeton praelongus

Yellow water lily  Represented by several similar Nuphar species (Nuphar lutea shown)  Characteristics similar to white water lily except flower color  Floating leaves have pronounced mid-rib  Desirable except when present in dense beds that interfere with navigation

Notes  Color photographs are from public-domain Internet sources  Line drawings and some descriptive material were adapted from Howard D.Wandell and Lois G.Wolfson, A Citizen's Guide for the Identification, Mapping and Management of the Common Rooted Aquatic Plants of Michigan Lakes (2nd ed.), Michigan State University Extension, May This publication is accessible online at:  This gallery is intended for general use. Please consult Wandell and Wolfson for more complete and definitive information.  A second WLA Gallery of photos focuses on potential invasive species not yet reported to occur in White Lake  We gratefully acknowledge the assistance of more than two dozen volunteers from the riparian community, the White Lake Association (which also provided financial assistance), and the White River Watershed Partnership, as well as technical back-stopping by the Anis Water Resources Institute and the Muskegon Conservation District Thomas Tisue, Thomas Hamilton Thomas Tisue, Thomas Hamilton February, 2014 February, 2014