Widgeon grass
Ruppia cirrhosa · Aquatic plants
A stand of it · Photo: Brandon Corder / CC BY
Also called Ditch grass, Ruppia maritima, Spiral ditchgrass
How to identify Widgeon grass
- Threadlike leaves with swollen sheathing bases
- Flower stalks that coil into a spiral after flowering
- Small, pear shaped fruits on long stalks
- Grows in salty or alkaline water
Similar plants
Sago pondweed has a similar look but its fruits are not on coiled stalks and its leaf sheaths are not swollen.
Growth profile
| Growing season | Starts growing in spring as water warms, flowers and fruits from June to August, and dies back in fall, overwintering as seed and rhizomes. |
|---|---|
| Starts growing | About 55 F water |
| Light | Tolerates some turbidity |
| Depth | A few inches to 6 feet |
| How it spreads | Seeds and rhizomes |
| Habitat | Saline and alkaline lakes, playas, marsh ponds and salty ditches over mud. |
Why it matters in a lake
One of the few plants that thrives in salty and alkaline water. Its seeds and foliage are a very important waterfowl food.
Where it is found
- Idaho: Occasional
- Oregon: Occasional
- Wyoming: Occasional
Classification
| Kingdom | Plantae |
|---|---|
| Phylum | Tracheophyta |
| Class | Magnoliopsida |
| Order | Alismatales |
| Family | Ruppiaceae |
| Scientific name | Ruppia cirrhosa |
Eurasian watermilfoil
Curly leaf pondweed
Brazilian elodea
Coontail
Elodea
Sago pondweed
Leafy pondweed
Common bladderwort
White water buttercup
Slender naiadNeed a hand?
Is it taking over your lake?
We identify what is growing, map how much of it there is and build a control plan that targets it without harming the rest of the lake.
Idaho / Wyoming (208) 501-4531Oregon (541) 280-0596