PlantNET Home DONATE TODAY | PlantNET Home | Search NSW Flora | Contact Us  
FloraOnline
Introduction
Plant Name Search
Index Search
Spatial Search
Identification Keys
Classification
Glossary
WeedAlert
Telopea Journal
Other Data Sources
NEW SOUTH WALES FLORA ONLINE Printable Page

Najas marina L.
Family Hydrocharitaceae
Common name: Prickly Water-nymph, Prickly Waternymph, Prickly Naiad

Najas marina L. APNI*

Description: Submerged aquatic dioecious annual to 3 m high.

Leaves to 5 cm long and 5 mm wide with numerous large spine-tipped teeth along the margins; surfaces (especially the midrib) and/or internodes may have similar teeth; sheathing base without auricles.

Flowers unisexual, axillary, solitary. Male flowers spatheate, 3–4 mm long, with the single stamen 1–3 mm long and 4-sporangiate. Female flowers without a spathe, 3–4 mm long, mostly with 3 stigmas.

Seed mostly 3–6 mm long, covered with irregularly arranged pits.


Flowering: Flowers during warmer months, the whole plant becoming detached when mature and drifting around dropping seeds.

Distribution and occurrence: Grows in lakes with fresh or brackish water, coastal sites and inland near Griffith.
NSW subdivisions: NC, CC, SWP
Other Australian states: Vic. N.T. W.A.
AVH map***

Text by S. W. L. Jacobs
Taxon concept:

 Key to the subspecies 
1Stems and midrib on lower surface of leaves with fewer than 1 spine per cmsubsp. latior
Stems and midrib on lower surface of leaves with >1 spine per cmsubsp. armata

APNI* Provides a link to the Australian Plant Name Index (hosted by the Australian National Botanic Gardens) for comprehensive bibliographic data
***The AVH map option provides a detailed interactive Australia wide distribution map drawn from collections held by all major Australian herbaria participating in the Australian Virtual Herbarium project.
  Privacy | Copyright | Disclaimer | About PlantNET | Cite PlantNET