Myriophyllum sp.

Water-milfoil at Mount Clear, ACT

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Identification history

Myriophyllum sp.	13 Jan 2017	BettyDonWood
Myriophyllum sp.	13 Jan 2017	BettyDonWood
Myriophyllum simulans	12 Jan 2017	KenT

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5 comments

BettyDonWood wrote:

13 Jan 2017

I have been looking at the monographs in Flora of Australia http://www.anbg.gov.au/abrs/online-resources/flora/main-query-styles.html Without at least female flowers I don't think it is possible to separate M. simulans and M. variifolium.

KenT wrote:

13 Jan 2017

Thanks Betty, sorry I forgot to add in the image for the female flowers, unfortunately it is not the best quality. I went with the descriptions in PlantNET; M. simulans often has male and female flowers on separate shoots as this example has, whereas M. variifolium has the flowers on the same shoot. Also the extent of teeth on some of the leaves (2nd image) and arrangement and number of leaves on the stem tends to be more like the characteristics described for M. simulans. However the stigma colour, from what I can make of it tends to support M. variifolium. I don't know if the additional image will help or not, unfortunately I'm often at a loss when a specimen has contradictory characteristics.

BettyDonWood wrote:

13 Jan 2017

I tend to go on what the key characters are. As you know, Vicflora and Plantnet use the same key, and Flora of Australia has not yet released any keys at all on line. The keys really go on the colour of the fruit and the colour of the stigmas, as well as the number of leaves in a whirl . I cannot tell from the photos whether the leaves are in whirls of 4 or 5. Can you tell me that, and also what colour the stigmas were - white, or pink fading to white? At present I am tempted to call these photos Myriophyllum sp.

KenT wrote:

13 Jan 2017

I suspect Myriophyllum sp. might be the best option it seems there are whirls with either four or five leaves and in some instances the distribution of leaves is more irregular. From what I can make of them the stigmas are only white, I see no evidence of any colour.

BettyDonWood wrote:

13 Jan 2017

I suspect that if a cladistic analysis is done that M. simulans and M. variifolium will be merged into the same species again.

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Location information

Sighting information

16 - 100 Abundance
7 Jan 2017 11:20 AM Recorded on
KenT Recorded by
Collections
KenT Canberra & Southern Tablelands NatureMapr Other Fresh Water Plants Plants Myriophyllum sp.

Additional information

True In flower
10cm to 30cm Plant height

Species information

Myriophyllum sp. Scientific name
Water-milfoil Common name
Not Sensitive
Local native
Non-invasive or negligible
Up to 1633.08m Recorded at altitude

Record quality

Images or audio
More than one media file
Verified by an expert moderator
Nearby sighting(s) of same species
GPS evidence of location
Description
Additional attributes