Myriophyllum verticillatum

Myriophyllum verticillatum

Secure  (NatureServe)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Saxifragales
Family: Haloragaceae
Genus: Myriophyllum
Species:
M. verticillatum
Binomial name
Myriophyllum verticillatum
L., 1753
Synonyms
  • Myriophyllum limosum Hectot ex DC. (1815)
  • Myriophyllum pectinatum DC. (1815)
  • Myriophyllum siculum Guss. (1844)
  • Myriophyllum verticillatum var. pinnatum Wallr. (1822)
  • Potamogeton verticillatus (L.) Walter (1788)

Myriophyllum verticillatum, the whorl-leaf watermilfoil or whorled water-milfoil, is a species of flowering plant native to much of North America, North Africa, and Eurasia. It closely resembles another native milfoil, called northern water milfoil (M. sibiricum). Whorled water milfoil is also easily confused with four types of invasive milfoils: Eurasian water milfoil (M. spicatum), Variable water-milfoil (M. heterophyllum), Parrot feather (M. aquaticum), and hybrid water milfoil (M. heterophyllum × M. laxum).

In many areas it is an invasive aquatic plant.

With the increase in water sports, the spread of many water milfoils (Haloragaceae) has increased over the years. The spread of a milfoil is not only within one area, sometimes it spreads from one area to another many miles away.

To the untrained eye, whorled water milfoil can look similar to other species.