Piercing the Surface

 

Graceful Pondweeds

I'm always thrilled to see these gorgeously colored, swirling pondweeds. Their underwater leaves sway gracefully beneath the surface, a striking burnt orange that swirls with the currents. They have floating leaves as well, which have a totally different color and shape, as can be seen below. It's really calming and beautiful to swim amongst them.

They can look like a piece of abstract art when captured in a current.

I believe this is Potamageton gramineus, known as variable leaf or grassy pondweed.

The inflorescence, fruit and floating leaves in a tray 

Blooming Bagpipers

The Latin name for bladderworts, Utricularia, is a reference to the use of animal bladders, or bags, that trap microscopic prey. They are highly specialized aquatic insectivorous plants that don't have roots, and can also photosynthesize. A multitasker! In other words, it's an opportunistic, floating mass of bladders with pretty flowers.

The flowers can be hard to notice among all the other large, showy aquatic contestants. They are delicate, sitting up on a fragile stalk that barely holds the bloom up out of the water. Most bladderworts have yellow flowers, but this one, the great purple bladderwort, actually has purple/pink flowers.

     

... until you find a variant. Yes, the great purple bladderwort named for the color of its flowers, Utricularia purpurea, can have white flowers (I believe this is quite common). May I present the purple flowered bladderwort with white flowers - there's always one breaking the 'rules'! I have both types flowering in my cove.

  

The underwater foliage is quite beautiful too 

Uses of Watercraft

 

Fishing

Surveying plants + Workout

Sunset Cruising

Fireworks Displays