Pond Boss Forums AQUATIC VEGETATION Identifying plants ID Help

I've been combing the internet and this site to figure out what this stuff is.....it is growing all over the shallows of my pond....its early May in Wisconsin so it started early

Been to this site yet?

http://aquaplant.tamu.edu/plant-identification/

Yup, I followed the sites suggestions and looked there and the Purdue site. I found that I have milfoil and also have this stuff I posted that I can't seem to ID

Kelly Duffy might know. Hopefully he'll see the thread.

It is a water moss (aquatic moss) probably one of several genera: Fontinalis, Philonotis or Grimmia or possibly another. It is hard to tell from a dark blurry picture.

I'll defer to Bill. I've never seen that one in my neck of the woods.

It is difficult to get a good picture with it being so small.

It doesn't have broad leaves like the pictures of the aquatic mosses I found on line. It is very small, somewhat spiny, fine/breaks apart easy and appears to have no firm root system. It is covering the bottom of my pond which is red clay and muck.

I sent a sample to a local pond chemical vendor and may also ask my local DNR. It is taking over my pond quickly as it did last summer.

Hey JohnnyB,

You said it took over your pond last summer did the plant put off a flower last summer?

No flowers....stays below the surface

I'll get another sample and try to take some more pics

No new pictures. However, in looking around over the weekend, I noticed the same stuff growing in the area my pond overflows into. It is an area that is no longer under water but is low lying and remains damp.....the same stuff is growing there and I'd say it is moss.

Now, how do I get rid of the stuff???? Is there something that will kill both this and the milfoil?

Maybe; but the "stuff" must first be IDed.
A clear/close-up photo would be very helpful. Place a coin next to the photographed portion of the plant for size-reference. Considering the plant's diminutive size, try to get as close as your len's focal-length will permit.

I was hoping the pencil would help with the size perspective. I have sent a sample to a local pond management vendor and will be bringing another sample to a biologist tomorrow to positively ID. I was being proactive by putting the question out assuming it is moss based on the thread so far and my additional findings, but I'm not going to purchase or go through the effort of using any type of chemical/herbacide/etc without knowing for sure....you make a great point I align with completely... it would be a waste of time, effort, and $$ and potentially would be pumping a bunch of unneccessary chemicals in the environment and my pond....i'm in total agreement with you and will ID before I proceed.

You're right. The pencil was quite appropriate for size-reference.
I'm curious to learn of its ID as well. It somewhat resembles a strange variation of immature coontail, but is much smaller and sparsely-stemmed than the norm.
I'm betting Bill is on the right trail with his ID...

A couple of the aquatic mosses have very short fine leaves similar to that in your picture.

Identified as leafy liverwort. Suggestion was to use weedtrine D on it.

Never heard of it! Must be a northern specie.
It sounds like something my wife would try to serve me for dinner...

The aquatic mosses are very similar to leafy liverworts. Both are often treated together in keys. The techincal difference between the two groups is how the reproductive capsule opens.