Pond Boss Forums AQUATIC VEGETATION Identifying plants Pond Plant Mega-Mystery

Here's one that's got me stumped, any help would be mucho appreciated. It has alternate leaves appx 1mm wide by 3mm long. Plant is wirey in nature, seems to come in single stalks. Growing in western Michigan, 1 acre aerated pond about six feet out from shore, 2-4 feet in depth.

I thought it was a moss from shore, but it seems to be a higher plant.

Thoughts?

You've got me stumped too... Bill Cody???

I always hesitate to provide a definative name from just a photograph. I like to have the plant "in hand" to closely examine it properly. For this one the first place I would start looking is the genus Fissidens - leafy liverworts. HOwever the habitat may not be correct for liverworts.

The second place I would look is the aquatic mosses.
For starters see this:
http://www.aquamoss.net/Stringy-Moss/Stringy-Moss.htm

Looked under the scope to compare... it looks a whole lot like Stringy Moss. Is it a natural plant in the wild here? I couldn't find any info on it other than aquarium applications. Maybe somebody dumped Nemo into the pond and his plant friends came with...

As far as control, I have never had luck killing moss with chemicals. I'm assuming mechanical harvest will be the way to go?

I've never dealt with it. Since it is only 1 ac mechanical removal is an option. When "uprooted" does it sink or float?

its almost neutral, but it mostly sinks i think because of the sediment still attached, otherwise i think it would try to float

So if you cut it with a weed cutter all stems would float? Is it growing under ice or well now at ice out or post ice out? Or have you not seen it or looked at it since last year.?

yeah they float. Not sure if they started under the ice. Now that i've been out to a few ponds in the area, it does look like the stringy moss that starts at shore. The only thing that trips me up is that the lady says it starts so far from shore and so deep. usually when I see it, it is in an area that had flooded and is usually under water because it started when it was at the ponds edge.

I may have just answered my own question there, I'll bet its currently growing where the normal high water mark was last year. This spring has been excessively wet, so the water is probably 2 feet deeper than normal, leaving this moss growing so far out into the water

Since they float then cutting them with a weed cutter should trim back most of the growth. Floating material is then relatively easy to remove. Regrowth should not be all that fast and trimming could be an effective control for most of the year.

Just an absolute wild guess, Willow Moss, Fountain moss, Fontinalis antipyretica.

Once used in times of yore to line chimneys from the sparks of log fires

A very pretty and benign aquatic moss.

Avidly desired by folk with cold aquaria as a pretty foliage plant

Not sure why anyone would want to pick on it as something for extermination (brutes!) its one of the nicest aquatic plants you could have turn up on a pond with crystal clear poifect water

Manys the night I've gone to tickle pike out of such magnificent waters :::sigh:::

Regards, andy
http://www.flickr.com/photos/21940871@N06/
http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l42/adavisus/

I agree andrew... I wish we could convince pondowners that they need to cultivate the good plants, not eradicate everything that grows...