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Montana Field Guide

Montana Field Guides

Western Water-milfoil - Myriophyllum hippuroides

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Not Documented

Global Rank: G5
State Rank: SNA
(see State Rank Reason below)
C-value:


Agency Status
USFWS:
USFS:
BLM:


 

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State Rank Reason (see State Rank above)
Myriophyllum hippuroides is not documented with verified specimens in Montana (MTNHP Status Review in 2019). Myriophyllum hippuroides is an aquatic plant native to the west coast of North America, but introduced into several other states (Giblin et al. [eds.] 2018). It was reported at a Montana Department of Transportation wetland mitigation project along Rock Creek in Beaverhead County with no documentation and is likely to have been mis-identified. Proper identification of Myriophyllum species require careful collections to obtain flowering or fruiting structures, use of an appropriate and current taxonomic key, and concerted time to examine the specimen. Potential specimens should be provided to and verified at one of our State Herbaria (University of Montana, Montana State University, or Montana State University-Billings) and will likely require genetic testing. A conservation status rank is not applicable (SNA) because this plant is not known to occur in Montana.
 
General Description
PLANTS: Aquatic, perennials with finely dissected, whorled submerged leaves, and emerged leaves within the inflorescence. Stems may branch. Wintering buds (turions) are absent. Source: Giblin et al. [eds.] 2018.

LEAVES: Submerged leaves are well-developed, in whorls of 3-6 with 5-28 leaf segments. Emerged leaves are well-developed (larger than the flowers or fruits), whorled, and occur within the inflorescence. Emerged leaves are narrowly lanceolate to narrowly oblong and abruptly transition upwards from the submerged leaves. At the base of branches or shoots are pinnate, whorled, and, mostly unreduced leaves. Emerged leaves dry to become dark green or black. Source: Giblin et al. [eds.] 2018.

INFLORESCENCE: An emergent, terminal spike. The spike consists of separate male and female flowers and emerged leaves that are greater than the flowers and fruits. Source: Giblin et al. [eds.] 2018. See Reproductive Characteristics for distinguishing characteristics.

Diagnostic Characteristics
Proper identification of Myriophyllum species require careful collections to obtain flowering or fruiting structures, use of an appropriate and current taxonomic key, and concerted time to examine the specimen.

Potential specimens should be provided to and verified at one of our State Herbaria:
University of Montana (MONTU), Montana State University (MONT), or Montana State University-Billings (MSUB).

Genetic testing may be required.

Range Comments
Western Water-milfoil is native to the western coast of North America and introduced into Oklahoma, Texas, and Illinois (Jepson Flora Project [eds.] 2019; Giblin et al. [eds.] 2018).

Habitat
Sloughs, pools, lakes, and slow flowing streams (Giblin et al. [eds.] 2018).

Reproductive Characteristics
FLOWERS
On the same plant male and female flowers are separate, generally one per axil, and usually subtended by 2 or more tiny bracteoles. In general male flowers grow above the female flowers in the terminal spike-like inflorescence. Male flowers have 4 stamens with anthers of 0.4-0.9 mm long. Male flowers have 4 sepals of 0.1-0.5 mm long. Female flowers have 4 petals of 1.5-3.0 mm long. Source: Giblin et al. [eds.] 2018.

FRUITS
Fruits are drupe-like or nut-like with 4 carpels. Fruit segments are elliptic to narrowly ovate at their middle. Faces are warty or bumpy and sharply 2-angled. Source: Giblin et al. [eds.] 2018.

Plants do not develop turions.

References
  • Literature Cited AboveLegend:   View Online Publication
    • Hitchcock, C.L. and A. Cronquist. 2018. Flora of the Pacific Northwest: An Illustrated Manual. Second Edition. Giblin, D.E., B.S. Legler, P.F. Zika, and R.G. Olmstead (eds). Seattle, WA: University of Washington Press in Association with Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture. 882 p.
    • Jepson Flora Project (Editors). 2011-2019. The Jepson eFlora for California. The Jepson Herbarium, University of California, Berkeley, California.
  • Web Search Engines for Articles on "Western Water-milfoil"
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Citation for data on this website:
Western Water-milfoil — Myriophyllum hippuroides.  Montana Field Guide.  .  Retrieved on , from