Texas Lake Solutions

Classifying aquatic vegetation.

Classifying aquatic vegetation can be a little difficult, but we will try to understand it from a practical, treatment based perspective. Some of these definitions will be a little different from the textbooks, but they are practical for treatment.

Lake and pond vegetation can be classified by type of root system:

• Rooted Plants. Plants with roots extending into the soil.
  

• Floating Plants. Plants which float on the surface of the water without a direct connection to the soil.
  

Anomalies.

Not all types and species fall neatly into one or the other of these categories. Even the floating plants usually have something resembling a root system, and which functions in much the same manner as a root system of a plant which is rooted in the ground, by drawing nutrients from the water rather than the soil. Often, rooted plants can be dislodged, and survive for long periods by floating in nutrient rich waters.

Algae, of the filamentous type, seems rooted, in the most rudimentary way when it begins it’s life at the bottom of the lake or pond, and only rises to the top via the air it produces. Some algae, the planktonic single cells, that are suspended in the water seems to be true floating plant, while such algae types as nitella, and muskgrass ar normally rooted and resemble true complex vascular rooted plants. Obviously , there is nothing written in stone.

Next: Submersed, Emergent, and Floating Plants

Services | Pond Scum Algae Control

• It is ugly, smelly, and encourages the wrong kind of insect life.

• Mosquitoes use it for cover, and fish can’t get to them to eat them as a result.

What is it?

Filamentous algae, commonly called pond scum. In our area, it is about the most common form of algae problem, and when coupled with other weeds such as “Coontail”, it can become a real problem. There are other types of algae, such as “Muskgrass”, or “Skunkweed” as it is sometimes called, and “Nitella”, sometimes called “Stonewort”, which resemble true plants. Whatever type of algae problem you have, we offer a treatment for it.

For more pond scum information:

• Getting Rid Of Pond Scum
• Pond Scum Information
• Pond Scum Biofuel?