Washington State Department of Ecology > Water & shorelines > Freshwater studies > Lake water quality > Aquatic Plant Guide home > Plant Categories > Submersed Plants

Aquatic Plant Identification Manual for Washington's Freshwater Plants

Submersed Plants Index

Submersed plants are usually found entirely underwater, but the flowers and fruits may rise above the water surface. Submersed species are rooted in the sediment and have underwater leaves. They can grow from shallow water to depths greater than ten meters in very clear water.

These are submersed plants. Links below lead to written descriptions, photographs, and line drawings.

• Cabomba carolinina - Fanwort
• Callitriche hermaphroditica - Autumnal Water-starwort
• Callitriche heterophylla - Different-leaved Water-starwort
• Callitriche stagnalis - Pond Water-starwort
• Callitriche verna - Spring Water-starwort
• Ceratophyllum demersum - Coontail
• Egeria densa - Brazilian Elodea
• Elodea canadensis - Common Waterweed
• Elodea nuttallii - Nuttall's Waterweed
• Heterantera dubia - Water Star-grass
• Hydrilla verticillata - Hydrilla
• Isoetes spp. - Quillworts
• Lilaea scilloides - Flowering Quillwort
• Limosella acaulis - Mat Mudwort
• Limosella aquatica - Water Mudwort
• Lobelia dortmanna - Water Lobelia
• Megalodonta beckii - Water Marigold
• Myriophyllum hippuroides - Western Milfoil
• Myriophyllum quitense - Andean Milfoil
• Myriophyllum sibericum - Northern Milfoil
• Myriophyllum spicatum - Eurasian Watermilfoil
• Myriophyllum verticillatum - Whorled Milfoil
• Najas flexilis - Slender Water-nymph
• Najas guadalupensis - Common Water-nymph
• Potamogeton crispus - Curly Leaf Pondweed<
• Potamogeton filiformis - Slender-leaved Pondweed
• Potamogeton friesii - Flat-stalked Pondweed
• Potamogeton foliosus - Leafy Pondweed
• Potamogeton obtusifolius - Blunt-leaved Pondweed
• Potamogeton pectinatus - Sago Pondweed
• Potamogeton praelongus - White-stemmed Pondweed
• Potamogeton pusillus- Small Pondweed
• Potamogeton richardsonii - Richardson's Pondweed
• Potamogeton robbinsii - Fern-leaf Pondweed
• Potamogeton vaginatus - Sheathing Pondweed
• Potamogeton zosteriformis - Flat-stem Pondweed
• Ranunculus aquatilis - White Water-buttercup
• Ruppia cirrhosa - Ditch-grass
• Ruppia maritima - Wigeongrass
• Scirpus subterminalis - Water Bulrush
• Subularia aquatica - Awlwort
• Utricularia inflata - Swollen Bladderwort
• Utricularia vulgaris - Common Bladderwort
• Vallisneria americana - Tapegrass
• Zannichellia palustris - Horned Pondweed