Myriophyllum simulans

Water Milfoil at Dry Plain, NSW

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Identification history

	Myriophyllum simulans	6 Jun 2023	JaneR
	Myriophyllum simulans	5 Jun 2023	AndyRoo

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User's notes

GPSed. Best guess based on leaves with fine segments or teeth. Again not sure how to ascribe abundance - would it be one plant?

4 comments

JaneR wrote:

6 Jun 2023

a tough call to make a species ID (M. simulans or M. variifolium) based on this photo which has relatively few details. Ideally, it would be good to know: whether emergent leaves are all whorled, and their typical number; length & width of submerged leaves; details about shape and colour of mericarps and styles. However, ideal details are rare and easiest to determine on a live specimen.
I'm confirming this as M. simulans based on the pinnae of the submerged leaves and the whorl number: but note that leaves are very plastic in Myriophyllum.

The leaves on the emergent tip on the right in the main photo are unusual (entire, flat, red margins) and not consistent with M. simulans or M.variifolium: possibly this is a cold or short-day response. The other tip in the main photo is more typical for both these two milfoils.

All up, interesting !

AndyRoo wrote:

8 Jun 2023

I've added a few more pics including a cropped version of the second pic zooming in on one of the emergent parts which might help (or not).

JaneR wrote:

8 Jun 2023

thanks for that. The plant is at an awkward growth stage; the most informative photos would be to repeat in spring-summer hen flowering and growing.

AndyRoo wrote:

8 Jun 2023

OK thanks Jane. Assume one of us will get around to doing that this coming spring-summer.

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