Vallisneria americana

Description

The plants are long, limp, flat, and have a green mid-ridge.

V. americana generally maintains its population by clonal reproduction through the use of runners, but they are also capable of reproducing through the use of seeds. Salinity seems to affect the germination process in the same way it does the growth of the plant. The female flowers are solitary and at the end of an incredibly long and thin pedicel; up to 3 m in length, while less than 1 mm thick.

Distribution and habitat

It is native to Canada, the United States, Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Haiti and Venezuela. It is found primarily in eastern North America, occurring west from Nova Scotia to South Dakota and South to the Gulf of Mexico. It has also been reported in the western states of Washington, Nebraska, New Mexico and Arizona. It has also recently been reported in Oregon.

The salinity tolerance of V. americana has been up to debate, and has been topic of many scientific research and experiments. It has been suggested that the difference between the collected data sets is due to the varying duration of the experiments and the different methodology used in each experiment. The highest tolerance range is generally noted to be anywhere from ten parts per thousand to twenty parts per thousand. Many experiments have shown that the general trend of growth is that as the salinity of the water goes up, the growth of the plant decreases, but the roots of the plants are known to show greater tolerance to salinity than the shoots do.

Ecology

Like many seagrass ecosystems, V. americana beds provide a rich abundance of prey as food for other species, and is a refuge for many species, including commercial, recreational, endangered and invasive organisms, and also acts as a nursery for fishery species. Beds of V. americana, especially in Louisiana, have been known to be homes to many crustaceans, gastropods, other invertebrates and fish, and have been known to be grazed on by West Indian manatees. The beds of V. americana are great at stabilizing sediment and shorelines, facilitating detrital food webs, and improving water quality by filtering the surrounding water.

Uses

V. americana is cultivated for the aquarium trade, where it is a sold as a background plant.

References

References

1. Maiz-Tome, L.. (2016). "''Vallisneria americana''".
2. {{GRIN
3. (1988). "American Wildcelery (Vallisneria americana):Ecological Considerations for Restoration". Fish and Wildlife Technical Report.
4. (2008). "Influence of environmental factors on Vallisneria americana seed germination". Aquatic Botany.
5. Rickett, Harold W.. (1967). "Flowers of the United States - Volume 2 -Part one". McGraw-Hill Book Co..
6. (2010). "Effects of salinity and light on biomass and growth of ''Vallisneria americana'' from Lower St. Johns River, FL, USA". Wetlands Ecology and Management.
7. (1999). "Effect of salinity on the growth of Vallisneria americana Michx. From the Caloosahatchee estuary, Florida". Quarterly Journal of the Florida Academy of Science.
8. (2011). "The effects of short term salinity exposure on the sublethal stress respons of Vallisneria americana Michx (Hydrocharitaceae)". Aquatic Botany.
9. (2006). "Nekton Us of Vallisneria americana Michx. (Wild Celery) Beds and Adjacent Habitats in Coastal Louisiana". Estuaries and Coasts.
10. (2001). "Effects of simulated saltwater intrusions on the Growth and Survival of Wild Celery, Vallisneria americana, from the Caloosahatchee Estuary (South Florida)". Estuaries.
11. Wilson, Rhonda. "Vallisneria". TFH Publications.