Plants ~ New Jersey Kayaking

Plants

Here are just a few aquatic plants:

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Algae, Duckweed & Sponges

Algae

Unlike marine algae, freshwater algae is usually little more than green slime. Much of it is actually microscopic single-celled organisms that form the base of the food chain. That is why the water is green ( when it is green. ) *

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Fanwort & Hornwort

Fanwort

Fanwort is a fully aquatic true plant. It grows steadily through the warm months, and can choke-out large areas, then dies back in the winter. Fanwort produces tiny flowers above the surface.

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Poison Ivy

Pictured above is a classic example of poison ivy. Note how three leaves grow in a cluster from a single node, with no leaves further down the stem. The side leaves have no stalks, while the center leaf has a short stalk. This pattern is universal - if you see it, stay away.

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Sedges & Reeds

Sedges and Reeds are superficially similar, but actually quite different. But unless you are a biologist - who cares? ( Reeds are grasses, sedges are sedges. )

Sedges

Sedges tolerate a wide range of salinity, from freshwater to seawater, although they seem to grow best in brackish water. So, like above, if you are exploring a bay or inlet, that stuff all around you is most likely sedge.

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Water Lilies

Water Lilies are found in all still and slow-flowing freshwaters. One thing that I have noticed about them is that on any lake or pond, you will always find white ones, and usually also pink or yellow ones, but never both. The flowers begin in summer and last well into fall.

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Waterways

Waterways
( 40.07788, -74.59600 )

Here is a map you can use to see just water features. The level of detail increases as you zoom in. The boundary lines have been deleted, as they often follow and obscure water features. It is interesting to trace the rivers to their headwaters.

In the north, the state's two largest river systems are the Passaic and the Raritan, which intertwine. In the south, the Mullica forms a sizable river system. Only one river originates in New Jersey and leaves the state - the Walkill in the north. All others are captured by either the Delaware or the Hudson, or the extensive southern bays. The orange line is approximately the dividing line between east (Hudson/Atlantic) and west (Delaware River) drainages. The red line is the "fall line" - the boundary between the Piedmont uplands and Atlantic coastal plain. And that's your lesson in hydrology.