Plant/Algae Identification - Aquatic Pest Management - Michigan

Planktonic Algae - Microscopic plants usually suspended in the upper few feet of water. They often reach bloom proportions. Water appears pea soup green or brownish. Common genera include Anabaena, Chlorella, Pediastrum, Scenedesmus, and Oocystis. Filamentous Algae - Also known as pond scum because of greenish brown mats formed on the water surface. Individual filaments are a series of cells joined end to end. This gives a thread or cotton like appearance. Common genera include Spirogyra, Cladophora, Rhizoclonium, Mougeotia, Zygnema, and Hydrodictyon. Eurasian Watermilfoil (Myriophyllum spicatum) - Invasive aquatic planet that is native to Europe and parts of Western Asia. It was brought intentionally to the US in the Aquarium Trade. Forms thick mats of tangled stems, fouling propellers and fish and shading out other aquatic plants. Brownish green to green. Leaves usually occur in whorls of four or five with 14 to 20 pairs of narrow, flat, dissected leaves that give them the appearance of weather beaten feathers. Plants may reach lengths of 10 ft or more. Plant stems and leaves may become calcified in hard water. INVASIVE