Fennel pondweed (Stuckenia pectinata)

Distribution data supplied by the Ocean Biodiversity Information System (OBIS). To interrogate UK data visit the NBN Atlas.Map Help

Summary

Description

A submerged aquatic pondweed characterized by many long narrow leaves. The leaves are 3 -11.5 cm long by only 0.2-4 mm wide, lack a stalk and are bright green to olive green in colour. Leaves are variable in shape and may be linear or thread-like, circular or grooved in cross-section, with 0-5 large and several small air channels bordering the midrib. Leaves taper to a fine point when narrow, or have rounded ends with a short point when broad. Stems are richly branched, slender or robust, circular in cross-section and up to 2.3 m in height. Leaves form a long (1-7cm), open leaf sheath where they meet the stems. Rhizomes are very slender or robust. Flowers born on tall bending stalks 2-9 (up to 28) cm long, in 2-7 groups of 1-2 flowers. Fruits egg-shaped 3-5 mm by 2-4 mm, with a short, curved beak, and pale brown in colour becoming brown with age.

Recorded distribution in Britain and Ireland

Widely distributed around the coasts of Britain and Ireland in brackish habitats but more common in inland waters (see Preston, 1995). Only coastal records are shown.

Global distribution

Near cosmopolitan in distribution occurring in Europe, North and South America, South Eurasia, South Africa and New Zealand.

Habitat

Grows on sediments in still or flowing eutrophic freshwater in lakes, rivers, streams, canals, ditches, ponds, flooded sand and gravel pits, and in brackish water ditches and lagoons. The only Potamogeton species to occur in brackish water.

Depth range

-

Identifying features

  • Leaves narrow, many times longer than wide, with pointed tips.
  • Leaves bear air channels either side of an inconspicuous midrib.
  • Leaf sheaths open.
  • Floating leaves absent.
  • Stems circular in cross-section.
  • Flowers borne on long, bending stalk or peduncle up to 28 cm tall.
  • Carpels of flowers with a distinct style.
  • Fruits 3-5 mm long.

Additional information

Also known as sago pondweed. Potamogeton pectinatus is included in the subgenus Coleogeton (Preston, 1995). It may be confused with Potamogeton filiformis but is more branched, with finer leaves, open leaf sheaths and larger fruits. It may also hybridize with Potamogeton filiformis to form Potamogeton x suecicus, which is often mistaken for Potamogeton pectinatus (Preston, 1995).

Listed by

- none -

Further information sources

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Bibliography

  1. Cronquist, A., 1988. The evolution and classification of flowering plants (2nd edn). New York: New York Botanical Garden.

  2. JNCC (Joint Nature Conservation Committee), 1999. Marine Environment Resource Mapping And Information Database (MERMAID): Marine Nature Conservation Review Survey Database. [on-line] http://www.jncc.gov.uk/mermaid

  3. Kantrud, H.A., 1990. Sago pondweed (Potamogeton pectinatus L.): a literature review. U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Fish & Wildlife Resource Publication no. 176, version 16 July 1997. [On-line] http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/literatr/pondweed/pondweed.htm, 2002-07-03

  4. Preston, C.D., 1995. Pondweeds of Great Britain and Ireland. London: Botanical Society of the British Isles. [B.S.B.I. Handbook no. 8.]

  5. Rose, F., 1981. The wild flower key. British Isles - N.W. Europe with keys to plants not in flower. London: The Penguin Group.

  6. Stace, C., 1999. Field flora of the British Isles. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Datasets

  1. Botanical Society of Britain & Ireland, 2018. Other BSBI Scottish data up to 2012. Occurrence dataset: https://doi.org/10.15468/2dohar accessed via GBIF.org on 2018-09-25.

  2. Botanical Society of Britain & Ireland, 2018. Scottish SNH-funded BSBI records. Occurrence dataset: https://doi.org/10.15468/llasrt accessed via GBIF.org on 2018-09-25.

  3. Botanical Society of Britain & Ireland, 2018. Welsh BSBI data (ex-VPDB dataset) at hectad resolution. Occurrence dataset: https://doi.org/10.15468/rsvnif accessed via GBIF.org on 2018-09-25.

  4. Bristol Regional Environmental Records Centre, 2017. BRERC species records recorded over 15 years ago. Occurrence dataset: https://doi.org/10.15468/h1ln5p accessed via GBIF.org on 2018-09-25.

  5. Bristol Regional Environmental Records Centre, 2017. BRERC species records within last 15 years. Occurrence dataset: https://doi.org/10.15468/vntgox accessed via GBIF.org on 2018-09-25.

  6. Cofnod – North Wales Environmental Information Service, 2018. Miscellaneous records held on the Cofnod database. Occurrence dataset: https://doi.org/10.15468/hcgqsi accessed via GBIF.org on 2018-09-25.

  7. Derbyshire Wildlife Trust, 2017. Vascular Plant Records up to 2010. Occurrence dataset: https://doi.org/10.15468/u5rceu accessed via GBIF.org on 2018-09-25.

  8. Dorset Environmental Records Centre, 2017. Dorset Sites of Nature Conservation Interest (SNCI) species records 2000-2008. Occurrence dataset: https://doi.org/10.15468/r1ebqb accessed via GBIF.org on 2018-09-25.

  9. Dorset Environmental Records Centre, 2017. Dorset Sites of Nature Conservation Interest (SNCI) species records pre 2000. Occurrence dataset: https://doi.org/10.15468/qyg29v accessed via GBIF.org on 2018-09-25.

  10. Dorset Environmental Records Centre, 2017. Dorset SSSI Species Records 1952 - 2004 (Natural England). Occurrence dataset: https://doi.org/10.15468/vcjzts accessed via GBIF.org on 2018-09-25.

  11. Environmental Records Information Centre North East, 2018. ERIC NE Combined dataset to 2017. Occurrence dataset: http://www.ericnortheast.org.ukl accessed via NBNAtlas.org on 2018-09-38

  12. Essex Wildlife Trust Biological Records Centre, 2018. River Blackwater historic river corridor surveys. Occurrence dataset: https://doi.org/10.15468/bpebj2 accessed via GBIF.org on 2018-09-27.

  13. Essex Wildlife Trust Biological Records Centre, 2018. River Blackwater historic river corridor surveys. Occurrence dataset: https://doi.org/10.15468/bpebj2 accessed via GBIF.org on 2018-09-27.

  14. Essex Wildlife Trust Biological Records Centre, 2018. River Pant historic river corridor surveys. Occurrence dataset: https://doi.org/10.15468/4fqgcc accessed via GBIF.org on 2018-09-27.

  15. Greater Manchester Ecology Unit, 2018. Distribution of Higher Plants in Greater Manchester. Occurrence dataset: https://www.tameside.gov.uk/ecologyunit accessed via NBNAtlas.org on 2018-09-27.

  16. Hertfordshire Natural History Society Flora Group, 2017. Hertfordshire Flora Survey Records 1987-2005. Occurrence dataset: https://doi.org/10.15468/ntvxgr accessed via GBIF.org on 2018-09-27.

  17. Lancashire Environment Record Network, 2018. LERN Records. Occurrence dataset: https://doi.org/10.15468/esxc9a accessed via GBIF.org on 2018-10-01.

  18. Manx Biological Recording Partnership, 2017. Isle of Man wildlife records from 01/01/2000 to 13/02/2017. Occurrence dataset: https://doi.org/10.15468/mopwow accessed via GBIF.org on 2018-10-01.

  19. Manx Biological Recording Partnership, 2018. Isle of Man historical wildlife records 1990 to 1994. Occurrence dataset: https://doi.org/10.15468/aru16v accessed via GBIF.org on 2018-10-01.

  20. Manx Biological Recording Partnership, 2018. Isle of Man historical wildlife records 1995 to 1999. Occurrence dataset: https://doi.org/10.15468/lo2tge accessed via GBIF.org on 2018-10-01.

  21. Merseyside BioBank., 2017. Merseyside BioBank (verified). Occurrence dataset: https://doi.org/10.15468/ar0p6s accessed via GBIF.org on 2018-10-01.

  22. Merseyside BioBank., 2018. Merseyside BioBank (unverified). Occurrence dataset: https://doi.org/10.15468/iou2ld accessed via GBIF.org on 2018-10-01.

  23. Merseyside BioBank., 2018. Merseyside BioBank Active Naturalists (unverified). Occurrence dataset: https://doi.org/10.15468/smzyqf accessed via GBIF.org on 2018-10-01.

  24. National Trust, 2017. National Trust Species Records. Occurrence dataset: https://doi.org/10.15468/opc6g1 accessed via GBIF.org on 2018-10-01.

  25. National Trust, 2017. Wicken Fen nature reserve species data held by The National Trust. Occurrence dataset: https://doi.org/10.15468/iqeemg accessed via GBIF.org on 2018-10-01.

  26. National Trust, 2018. Anglesey Abbey wildlife species data held by The National Trust. Occurrence dataset: https://doi.org/10.15468/mjs49u accessed via GBIF.org on 2018-10-01.

  27. National Trust, 2018. Hatfield Forest species data held by The National Trust.. Occurrence dataset:https://doi.org/10.15468/cghm28 accessed via GBIF.org on 2018-10-01.

  28. National Trust, 2018. Heigham Holmes species data held by The National Trust. Occurrence dataset: https://doi.org/10.15468/wf8xpt accessed via GBIF.org on 2018-10-01.

  29. National Trust, 2018. Wimpole Estate species data held by The National Trust. Occurrence dataset: https://doi.org/10.15468/l8oy9m accessed via GBIF.org on 2018-10-01.

  30. NBN (National Biodiversity Network) Atlas. Available from: https://www.nbnatlas.org.

  31. Norfolk Biodiversity Information Service, 2017. NBIS Records to December 2016. Occurrence dataset: https://doi.org/10.15468/jca5lo accessed via GBIF.org on 2018-10-01.

  32. OBIS (Ocean Biodiversity Information System),  2025. Global map of species distribution using gridded data. Available from: Ocean Biogeographic Information System. www.iobis.org. Accessed: 2025-05-02

  33. Record, 2017. RECORD Vascular Plant Data. Occurrence dataset https://doi.org/10.15468/nmdcir accessed via GBIF.org on 2018-10-02.

  34. Rotherham Biological Records Centre, 2017. Rotherham Biological Records Centre - Non-sensitive Records from all taxonomic groups. Occurrence dataset: https://doi.org/10.15468/d3tufo accessed via GBIF.org on 2018-10-02.

  35. Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, 2018. Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh Herbarium (E). Occurrence dataset: https://doi.org/10.15468/ypoair accessed via GBIF.org on 2018-10-02.

  36. South East Wales Biodiversity Records Centre, 2018. SEWBReC Vascular Plants (South East Wales). Occurrence dataset: https://doi.org/10.15468/7qjujd accessed via GBIF.org on 2018-10-02.

  37. South East Wales Biodiversity Records Centre, 2018. Dr Mary Gillham Archive Project. Occurance dataset: http://www.sewbrec.org.uk/ accessed via NBNAtlas.org on 2018-10-02

  38. Staffordshire Ecological Record, 2017. Data from Defra Family Organisations supplied to Staffordshire Ecological Record. Occurrence dataset: https://doi.org/10.15468/giebpp accessed via GBIF.org on 2018-10-02

  39. Staffordshire Ecological Record, 2017. SER Site-based Surveys. Occurrence dataset: https://doi.org/10.15468/h2yko0 accessed via GBIF.org on 2018-10-02.

  40. Staffordshire Ecological Record, 2017. SER Species-based Surveys. Occurrence dataset: https://doi.org/10.15468/q8qen3 accessed via GBIF.org on 2018-10-02.

  41. Staffordshire Ecological Record, 2017. Stoke-on-Trent Environmental Survey results (1982-1984). Occurrence dataset: https://doi.org/10.15468/8gryb6 accessed via GBIF.org on 2018-10-02.

  42. Suffolk Biodiversity Information Service., 2017. Suffolk Biodiversity Information Service (SBIS) Dataset. Occurrence dataset: https://doi.org/10.15468/ab4vwo accessed via GBIF.org on 2018-10-02.

  43. The Wildlife Information Centre, 2018. TWIC Biodiversity Field Trip Data (1995-present). Occurrence dataset: https://doi.org/10.15468/ljc0ke accessed via GBIF.org on 2018-10-02.

  44. West Wales Biodiversity Information Centre, 2017. WTSWW Data: All Taxa (West Wales). Occurrence dataset: https://doi.org/10.15468/gaakk2 accessed via GBIF.org on 2018-10-02.

  45. Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, 2018. Yorkshire Wildlife Trust - Non-sensitive records from all taxonomic groups. Occurrence dataset: https://doi.org/10.15468/2razk5 accessed via GBIF.org on 2018-10-02.

Citation

This review can be cited as:

Tyler-Walters, H., 2003. Stuckenia pectinata Fennel pondweed. In Tyler-Walters H. and Hiscock K. Marine Life Information Network: Biology and Sensitivity Key Information Reviews, [on-line]. Plymouth: Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom. [cited 02-05-2025]. Available from: https://www.marlin.ac.uk/species/detail/1805

Last Updated: 11/08/2003