Pond Boss Forums PHOTO GALLERY Image Gallery Chara or Coontail?

Since most of my triploid grass carp have finally died off after 30 years, I'm at last seeing abundant weeds again in my 6 acre pond. In fact, the weeds are now a bit too abundant. Are these weeds chara or coontail? I've tried to differentiate them, but I can't.

I'm not sure if it's chara, but it is not coontail.

Sometimes it is hard to distinguish between Chara and Coontail. The leaves on your plants have small spines and both plant types can have similar shapes unless one looks very closely at the leaves. I would like better pictures with a few close images of the growing stem tips. One predictable way to tell if it is Chara is to crush a handful of it and see if you get a garlic or strong earthy or skunky odor; NOTE some chara species do not have the strong odor. Your plant resembles Chara vularis (type with strong garlicky odor) that when grows in deep clear water it results in longer stem length between the nodes and it often has the small looking spines on the leaves.
I cannot see the individual leaves close enough and well enough to completely eliminate the Naiad species. Stems and leaf arrangement on your plants look like one of the Naiad species. Again I need better pictures or a few live specimens.

Thank you so much Moderators! I'll try to get some better pics next spring. Right now winter has set in and the weeds have died. Everything I've seen points to these being a type of Chara except for one important element. I don't "get a garlic or strong earthy or skunky odor" when I crush it with my fingers. Better pics to come! Thanks again!

Not chara or coontail Looks to be a Najas species. possibly Najas guadalupensis