SimplePlant

Potamogetonaceae

Small pondweed

Potamogeton pusillus L.

Family
Potamogetonaceae
Genus
Potamogeton

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Small pondweed: The pondweed Potamogeton pusillus s. str.
Photo: Christian Fischer, CC BY-SA 3.0, from Wikimedia Commons

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Common names

By language (22)
Belarusian
Урэчнік маленькі, Рдзест маленькі
Bulgarian
Дребен ръждавец
Catalan
Potamot Fluet
Chinese
小眼子菜, 柳絲藻, 丝藻, 线叶眼子菜
Czech
Rdest maličký
Dutch
Tenger fonteinkruid
English
Small pondweed, Lesser pondweed
Estonian
Väike penikeel
Finnish
Hentovita
French
Potamot fluet, Potamot de Palerme, Potamot nain
German
Gewöhnliches Zwerg-Laichkraut
hsb
Mólička dróstnica
Latvian
Sīkā glīvene
Lithuanian
Potamot Fluet
Norwegian Bokmål
Granntjørnaks
Norwegian Nynorsk
Granntjønnaks
Persian
بارهنگ نازک
Polish
Rdestnica drobna
Romanian
Broscăriță
Swedish
Spädnate, Potamot Fluet
Ukrainian
Рдесник маленький
Welsh
Dyfrllys eiddil

Synonyms

  • Buccaferrea pusilla (L.) Bubani
  • Potamogeton aschersonii A.Benn.
  • Potamogeton aschersonii f. pusilloides Hagstr.
  • Potamogeton badius Hagstr.
  • Potamogeton berteroanus Phil.
  • Potamogeton caespitosus Humn.
  • Potamogeton compressus var. elongatus Wahlenb.
  • Potamogeton denticulatus Link
  • Potamogeton dualis Hagstr.
  • Potamogeton exiguus Hagstr.
  • Potamogeton gracilis Fr.
  • Potamogeton lateralis f. incompletus Hagstr.
  • Potamogeton lateralis f. subcompletus Hagstr.
  • Potamogeton millardii Hesl.-Harr.
  • Potamogeton panormitanus Biv.
  • Potamogeton panormitanus var. major G.Fisch.
  • Potamogeton panormitanus var. minor Biv. ex Guss.
  • Potamogeton panormitanus var. minor Biv.
  • Potamogeton pusilliformis Hagstr.
  • Potamogeton pusillus prol. panormitanus (Biv.) Graebn.
  • Potamogeton pusillus subsp. argentinus A.Benn.
  • Potamogeton pusillus subsp. panormitanus (Biv.) Schinz & R.Keller
  • Potamogeton pusillus subsp. pusillus
  • Potamogeton pusillus subsp. sturrockii A.Benn.
  • Potamogeton pusillus subsp. sturrockii (A.Benn.) Hook.f.
  • Potamogeton pusillus subvar. interruptus J.W.Robbins
  • Potamogeton pusillus var. africanus A.Benn.
  • Potamogeton pusillus var. capillaris Gaudin
  • Potamogeton pusillus var. capitatus A.Benn.
  • Potamogeton pusillus var. elongatus A.Benn.
  • Potamogeton pusillus var. lacunatus Fernald
  • Potamogeton pusillus var. latifolius G.Mey.
  • Potamogeton pusillus var. latifolius Čelak.
  • Potamogeton pusillus var. longepedunculatus Hicken
  • Potamogeton pusillus var. major Fr.
  • Potamogeton pusillus var. minor (Biv. ex Guss.) Fernald & B.G.Schub.
  • Potamogeton pusillus var. panormitanus (Biv.) Nyman
  • Potamogeton pusillus var. panormitanus Morong
  • Potamogeton pusillus var. panormitanus Graebn.
  • Potamogeton pusillus var. pseudorutilus A.Benn.

and 19 more.

Flowers

In flower
January, July to August (from 12 flowering iNaturalist observations worldwide)

Characteristics

Growth habit
Forb/herb
Lifespan
Perennial
In the US and Canada
Alaska: native, Canada: native, Lower 48 states: native, St. Pierre and Miquelon: native

Photos

More in Potamogeton

Sources: classification, synonyms from World Flora Online Plant List (2026-06, CC0 1.0); common names, popularity from Wikidata (2026-10-26, CC0 1.0); common names, US characteristics from USDA PLANTS Database (2025-05-29, CC0 1.0). About our plant data.