Starry stonewort
Nitellopsis obtusa · Algae
Out of the water · Photo: Grzegorz Grzejszczak / CC BY-SA
Also called Nitellopsis, SSW, Starry Chara
State listing
- Idaho: Early detection
How to identify Starry stonewort
- Tall, bright green, smooth strands with long branchlets in whorls of 4 to 6
- Small white star shaped bulbils on the pale threads at the base
- No lime crust and little smell
- Forms dense, tall mats that fill the water column
Similar species
Muskgrass is gritty and smells musky; Nitella is shorter with forked branchlets and has no white star bulbils.
Growth profile
| Season | Grows through summer into fall and stays green under the ice; bulbils survive in the sediment. |
|---|---|
| Starts | About 50 F water |
| Light | Tolerates low light and deeper water |
| Depth | Bottom, from 2 to over 20 feet |
| How it spreads or reproduces | Fragments and star shaped bulbils carried on boats, trailers and gear |
| Habitat | Lakes and reservoirs with hard or alkaline water, especially near boat launches, over soft or sandy bottoms. |
Why it matters in a lake
Not known in these states but spreading in the Great Lakes region. Report any suspected find to the state invasive species program.
Where it is found
- Idaho: Not yet found
- Oregon: Not recorded
- Wyoming: Not recorded
Classification
| Kingdom | Plantae |
|---|---|
| Phylum | Charophyta |
| Class | Charophyceae |
| Order | Charales |
| Family | Characeae |
| Scientific name | Nitellopsis obtusa |
Muskgrass
Nitella
Tolypella
Spirogyra
Cladophora
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