photo: Alison Fox, University of Florida, Bugwood.org
Eurasian Watermilfoil (Myriophyllum spicatum)
 Leslie J. Mehrhoff, University of Connecticut, Bugwood.org |
 Graves Lovell, Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Bugwood.org |
Form:
Submersed aquatic perennial with long stems and whorls of submersed, feathery leaves. Stems are slender, smooth, and branch at water surface. Reproduces vegetatively from shoot fragments and stolons creeping along lake bed.
Leaves:
Thread-like, pinnately compound, with 9-21 pairs of leaflets, and arranged in whorls of 3-5 (usually 4) around stem. Leaves limp when removed from water.
Flowers:
Reddish, with either 0 to 4 petals. Arranged in 4-flowered whorls on spikes rising above water surface.
Fruits & Seeds:
Nut-like fruits split into 4 parts. Seeds germinate poorly under natural conditions and are not the primary means of reproduction.
Roots:
Fibrous roots attach to sediments. Roots develop along floating stems and allow stem fragments to take root.
Similar Species:
Northern watermilfoil (M. sibiricum) native
Coontail (Ceratophyllum demersum) native
Tier 3 - Presence is of Interest
The species that occur in this tier are likely ornamental escapes. It is not known whether they are established and/or spreading within Cleveland Metroparks. The ecological impact is poorly known for these species.
Action: The presence of these plants should be recorded by approximating the number of plants. Initial population numbers are likely small.
