Vallisneria americana
american eelgrass, american eel-grass, watercelery, eelgrass, tapegrass, tape-grass, water-celery
Family
Hydrocharitaceae
Leaf Arrangement
basal (rosulate)
Leaf Margin
denticulate, serrulate
Leaf Type
simple
Leaf Shape
linear, elongate
Growth Form
submerged aquatic
Flower Color
white
Flower Petals
3
Flower Month
April - October
Height (meters)
2.0
Milky Sap
No
Armed/Unarmed
Unarmed
Origin
native
Lifespan
perennial
Wetland Class
OBL
Field Characters
Basal rosette from spreading stolons, rooted to bottom. Fresh to brackish water. Leaves are ribbon-like, 1.2 cm wide, and 3-6 dm long. 2.5 cm capsule rises to the surface on a slender spiraling stalk.
Habitat
Quiet water, lakes and beds of flowing streams, sandy soil in shallow water.