Ep. 580 - Celebrating a Foundational Aquatic Plant
In Defense of Plants Podcast
In Defense of Plants
4.8 • 1.3K Ratings
🗓️ 31 May 2026
⏱️ 61 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
What could be better than a tiny plant with an outsized impact on the world around it? Hornleaf riverweed AKA Podostemum ceratophyllum is one such plant. This tiny aquatic plant has so many mysterious surrounding it but what we do know is that it is foundational to the aquatic ecosystems in which it is found. Join me and Dr. James Wood as we take a deep dive on this unique aquatic plant and learn what you can do to help us understand and conserve it a little bit better. This episode was produced in part by Elise, Maggie, Mamie, A.J., Dallas, Channele, KC, Joe, Diane, Kim, Tanya, Neil, Matthew, April, Dana, Lilith, Sanza, Eva, Yellowroot, Wisewren, Nadia, Heidi, Blake, Josh, Laure, R.J., Carly, Lucia, Dana, Sarah, Lauren, Strych Mind, Linda, Sylvan, Austin, Sarah, Ethan, Elle, Steve, Cassie, Chuck, Aaron, Gillian, Abi, Rich, Shad, Maddie, Owen, Linda, Alana, Sigma, Max, Richard, Maia, Rens, David, Robert, Thomas, Valerie, Joan, Mohsin Kazmi Photography, Cathy, Simon, Nick, Paul, Charis, EJ, Laura, Sung, NOK, Stephen, Heidi, Kristin, Luke, Sea, Shannon, Thomas, Will, Jamie, Waverly, Brent, Tanner, Rick, Kazys, Dorothy, Katherine, Emily, Theo, Nichole, Paul, Karen, Randi, Caelan, Tom, Don, Susan, Corbin, Keena, Robin, Peter, Whitney, Kenned, Margaret, Daniel, Karen, David, Earl, Jocelyn, Gary, Krysta, Elizabeth, Southern California Carnivorous Plant Enthusiasts, Pattypollinators, Peter, Judson, Ella, Alex, Dan, Pamela, Peter, Andrea, Nathan, Karyn, Michelle, Jillian, Chellie, Linda, Laura, Miz Holly, Christie, Carlos, Paleo Fern, Levi, Sylvia, Lanny, Ben, Lily, Craig, Sarah, Lor, Monika, Brandon, Jeremy, Suzanne, Kristina, Christine, Silas, Michael, Aristia, Felicidad, Lauren, Danielle, Allie, Jeffrey, Amanda, Tommy, Marcel, C Leigh, Karma, Shelby, Christopher, Alvin, Arek, Chellie, Dani, Paul, Dani, Tara, Elly, Colleen, Natalie, Nathan, Ario, Laura, Cari, Margaret, Mary, Connor, Nathan, Jan, Jerome, Brian, Azomonas, Ellie, University Greens, Joseph, Melody, Patricia, Matthew, Garrett, John, Ashley, Cathrine, Melvin, OrangeJulian, Porter, Jules, Griff, Joan, Megan, Marabeth, Les, Ali, Southside Plants, Keiko, Robert, Bryce, Wilma, Amanda, Helen, Mikey, Michelle, German, Joerg, Cathy, Tate, Steve, Kae, Carole, Mr. Keith Santner, Lynn, Aaron, Sara, Kenned, Brett, Jocelyn, Ethan, Sheryl, Runaway Goldfish, Ryan, Chris, Alana, Rachel, Joanna, Lori, Paul, Griff, Matthew, Bobby, Vaibhav, Steven, Joseph, Brandon, Liam, Hall, Jared, Brandon, Christina, Carly, Kazys, Stephen, Katherine, Manny, doeg, Daniel, Tim, Philip, Tim, Lisa, Brodie, Bendix, Irene, holly, Sara, and Margie.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Conversations like you're about to hear do not happen unless you support In Defensive Plants. |
| 0:04.4 | And now more than ever, we need conversations like this to reach as many ears as possible. |
| 0:08.9 | One of the best ways to help keep In Defensive Plants up and running is to become a patron over at patreon.com |
| 0:14.0 | slash In Defensive Plants. |
| 0:15.8 | In return for a tiny bit of support each month, you will get access to a completely separate |
| 0:20.2 | podcasts. It explores |
| 0:21.5 | a lot of really fun gardening topics, everything from seed collection and storage to growing native |
| 0:26.1 | plants, the struggles of trying to garden in different climates, and so much more. It's a heck of a lot of fun. |
| 0:32.2 | We're learning so much, and we're trying to share that with you. So come on and join the Patreon over |
| 0:36.7 | at patreon.com slash indefensive plants and help keep this show up and running in the process. I hope to see you over there. But in the meantime, on with the show. Hello everyone and welcome to the Indefensive Plants podcast, the official podcast of Indefensiveplants.com. What's up? This is your host, Matt. Welcome to the show. How is everyone doing this week? I'm doing great because anytime I get to talk about cool, obscure plants that have an |
| 0:58.5 | outsized impact on the ecosystem around them, I am a happy man. And today is one of those episodes. |
| 1:04.8 | We are talking about a small aquatic plant called podostomum serratophyllum that grows all over |
| 1:10.6 | freshwater rivers in eastern North |
| 1:12.6 | America and yet is so poorly understood. But what we do know about it is it's having massive |
| 1:18.9 | impacts on stream ecologies wherever it grows. Joining us to talk about this is Dr. James Wood, |
| 1:24.6 | who's devoted so much of his research career, asking big ecological questions |
| 1:28.8 | about the natural history of the species, and he's finding so many incredible things. |
| 1:33.3 | I don't want to take time from him any longer. |
| 1:35.5 | I want you to become a huge fan of this plant and go looking for it. |
| 1:38.3 | So without further ado, here's my conversation with Dr. James Wood. |
| 1:41.9 | I hope you enjoy. |
| 1:56.7 | Music my conversation with Dr. James Wood. I hope you enjoy. All right, Dr. James Wood, it is so great to have you here. We have a lot to talk about |
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