Potamogetonaceae FAMILY

Stuckenia pectinata

Edibility

2/5

Medicinal

2/5

Safety & Hazards

None known

Botanical Description

Stuckenia pectinata is an aquatic herbaceous plant with stems usually up to 100cm long. It is generally completely submersed, except for the reproductive spike that peaks above the water. It is nearly unbranched at the base, becoming freely branched towards the top[ 277 Title Plants Database Publication Author Website http://plants.usda.gov/java/factSheet Publisher United States Department of Agriculture Year 0 ISBN Description An online database with an excellent collection of fact sheets about native N. American plants. ]. The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and a medicine. It can be used to remove toxins from aquatic environments and also to help reduce erosion along the edges of aquatic environments. This species may become weedy or invasive in some regions or habitats and may displace more desirable vegetation if not properly managed. It is considered to be a nuisance weed or noxious weed in irrigation canals and in some waters that are used for recreational purposes[ 277 Title Plants Database Publication Author Website http://plants.usda.gov/java/factSheet Publisher United States Department of Agriculture Year 0 ISBN Description An online database with an excellent collection of fact sheets about native N. American plants. ].

Habitat & Origin

Origintemperate; tropical

Native RangeAn almost cosmopolitan plant, found in most areas of the world including Britain

HabitatPonds, rivers, canals, ditches etc, especially in base-rich waters, avoiding acid conditions and shade[ 13 Title Hamlyn Encyclopaedia of Plants. Publication Author Triska. Dr. Publisher Hamlyn Year 1975 ISBN 0-600-33545-3 Description Very interesting reading, giving some details of plant uses and quite a lot of folk-lore. , 17 Title Flora of the British Isles. Publication Author Clapham, Tutin and Warburg. Publisher Cambridge University Press Year 1962 ISBN - Description A very comprehensive flora, the standard reference book but it has no pictures. ]. Semi-permanent to permanently flooded areas where the water is less than 250cm deep and the flow is less than 1 metre per second[ 277 Title Plants Database Publication Author Website http://plants.usda.gov/java/factSheet Publisher United States Department of Agriculture Year 0 ISBN Description An online database with an excellent collection of fact sheets about native N. American plants. ].