American Pondweed  Potamogeton nodosus   American pondweed is a
perennial plant that has both floating and a few submerged
leaves in an alternate pattern. The floating leaves are
elliptical to oval 4 to 7 inches long and to 2 1 inches wide on
long petioles. Submerged leaves are not abundant and are blade-
like, somewhat transparent and smaller than floating leaves.
Fruits are on spikes that often stand above the water’s surface
and are brownish to reddish 3 to 2 1 inches long and 1/8 to1/4
inches wide.  Submerged portions of all aquatic plants provide
habitats for many micro and macro invertebrates. These
invertebrates in turn are used as food by fish and other
wildlife species (e.g. amphibians, reptiles, ducks, etc.). After
aquatic plants die, their decomposition by bacteria and fungi
provides food (called “detritus”) or many aquatic invertebrates.
American pondweed is highly utilized as food by ducks and some
other types of wildlife.