Eurasian watermilfoil Look Alikes Coontail (Ceratophyllum demersum) Coontail, Kelly E. Somerlot, Onondaga County CCE. Used with permission. Coontail Drawing, University of Florida, Center for Aquatic and Invasive Plants Line Drawing DVD Master. Used with permission. Plant Characteristics Free-floating submersed perennial Leaves are not feather-like Bristle like leaves are toothed and have a forked division Leaves are in tight whorls of 5-12 that are tight at the tips, resembling a raccoon tail Leaves keep their shape out of water Slender, hollow stems can grow to 20 inches Long trailing stems lack true roots, appears to be rooted Good habitat for small invertebrates Provides food for birds as well as food and shelter for fish Inhabits slow moving waters of streams and rivers as well as lakes and ponds Northern (Myriophyllum sibiricum) or Spiked watermilfoil (Myriophyllum exalbescens) Northern watermilfoil, Aquatic Plant Information System (APIS), www.wes.army.mil/el/aqua Northern Watermilfoil Drawing, USDA, NRCS. 2004. The PLANTS Database, Version 3.5. Used with permission. Plant Characteristics Submersed, rooted perennial that is entirely submersed except for a mostly bare, floral spike with red-tinted flowers, less than 4 inches long Has leafy purple-brown stems Tips and shoots lack reddish brown color Has whorls of 4-5 feather-like leaves, smaller than a quarter, 5-12 pairs of leaflets Leaflet pairs are shorter on top and longer on the bottom, creating a fir tree shape Leaves tend to be more stiff and bristly than Eurasian watermilfoil and leaves tend to be stiff when removed from water Leaf tip is tapered Inhabits lakes, ponds and rivers Back Page updated on August 15, 2005.