Sago pondweed seeds form terminal clusters, distinguishing it from horned pondweed and widgeon grass. Above, sago pondweed goes to seed in the Severn River Sanctuary in Anne Arundel County, Md., on July 10, 2016. (Photo by Will Parson/Chesapeake Bay Program)
Sago pondweed has bushy clusters of thread-like leaves and slender, branching stems. (USDA NRCS Wetland Science Institute)
Sago pondweed is a bay grass with bushy clusters of thread-like leaves that grow alternately along slender, branching stems. It grows in fresh to moderately brackish waters throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
Appearance
Sago pondweed is made up of long, thread-like leaves that spread out like a fan. Leaves taper to a point, grow to about 4 inches long and are arranged alternately along slender, branching stems. Bead-like flowers grow along a slender spike in early summer. Sago pondweed may have a whitish pointed tip, or bayonet, in the sheath at the base of the leaves. Its long, straight roots have thin rhizomes.
Predators
Migratory waterfowl feed on the entire plant, particularly its nutrient-rich seeds and tubers.
Reproduction and Life Cycle
Asexual reproduction, the more common reproduction method, takes place when tubers form, break off the plant and grow into new plants later in spring. Sexual reproduction takes places from June-August when flowers bloom and release pollen, which floats on the surface of the water. After fertilization, seeds form on the flower spike and fall into the water in autumn.
Did You Know?
- Sago pondweed is one of the most important sources of food for waterfowl in North America.
- It can be confused with slender pondweed, horned pondweed and widgeon grass. Sago pondweed can be distinguished by its bushy clusters of leaves that grow alternately along the stem and by the white bayonets at the base of the leaves.
Sources and Additional Information
- Underwater Grasses in Chesapeake Bay & Mid-Atlantic Coastal Waters by Maryland Sea Grant
- Life in the Chesapeake Bay by Alice Jane Lippson and Robert L. Lippson
- Chesapeake Bay: Nature of the Estuary, A Field Guide by Christopher P. White
- Bay Grass Key: Sago Pondweed – Maryland Department of Natural Resources
- PLANTS Database: Stuckenia pectinata – USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service
Quick Facts
Species
Native
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Habitat
Grows in fresh non-tidal to moderately brackish tidal waters, in silty or muddy sediments. Tolerates strong waves and currents better than most bay grasses because of its long roots and rhizomes. In fresher waters, it tends to be less abundant in years with high rainfall and lower salinities.
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Range
Found in the upper and middle Chesapeake Bay and in tidal and non-tidal tributaries throughout the Bay watershed.
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Status
Stable
