Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to California, east to the Rocky Mountains, northern Great Plains, Great Lakes region, and northeastern North America.

Habitat: Standing or slow-moving water.

Flowers: June-August

Origin: Native

Growth Duration: Perennial

Conservation Status: Not of concern

Pollination: Wind

Aquatic, herbaceous perennials from slender rhizomes, the stems sparingly branched, greenish, 1-2 mm. broad and 3-6 dm. long, the internodes only 1-3 cm. long.

Leaves alternate, submersed, the blades sessile and clasping, ovate-lanceolate to lanceolate, up to 10 cm. long and 2 cm. broad, with crisp margins, 13-to 25-veined, rounded to acute; stipules free of the leaf, 1-2 cm. long, soon shredding into numerous whitish fibers.

Flowers perfect, in 6-12 closely compact whorls, in a spike 1.5-4 cm. long, on a stout peduncle 2-10 cm. long; perianth of 4 clawed segments, each with an upturned, oval blade; stamens 4, fused with the claws; pistils 4, sessile.

Achenes obliquely obovate, about 3 mm. long, faintly keeled on the back, with no lateral keels, the stylar beak nearly 1 mm. long.