Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to California, east across most of North America to the Atlantic Coast.
Habitat: Common in ponds, lakes, streams, rivers, and slow-moving waters.
Flowers: July-September
Origin: Native
Growth Duration: Perennial
Conservation Status: Not of concern
Pollination: Wind, water
Submerged, dioecious perennials, the stems sparingly branched dichotomously.
Leaves crowded, opposite below and in threes above, 6-15 mm. long and 1.5-2.5 mm. broad.
Staminate flowers solitary in fused bracts on long, slender, pedicle-like structures; sepals 3, greenish, 4 mm. long; petals 3, white, slightly longer than the sepals; stamens 9, the inner 3 on a short tube; pistillate flowers solitary in cylindric, fused bracts on slender, pedicle-like structures up to 15 cm. long; sepals 3, greenish, 2-2.5 mm. long; petals 3, white, equal to the sepals; staminodia 3, tooth-like, 0.5 mm. long; stigmas 3, 2-lobed.
Capsule about 6 mm. long.
Publication: Flora Boreali-Americana. 1: 20. 1803.
Elodea planchonii Casp. [Abrams]
PNW Herbaria: Specimen records of Elodea canadensis in the Consortium of Pacific Northwest Herbaria database.
WA Flora Checklist: Elodea canadensis checklist entry.
OregonFlora: Elodea canadensis information.
E-Flora BC: Elodea canadensis atlas page.
CalPhotos: Elodea canadensis photos.
USDA Plants: Elodea canadensis information.
