Najas L.
naiad, water nymph
Hydrocharitaceae
Blyxa, Chara, Heteranthera, Lagarosiphon, Nechamandra, Potamogeton
cosmopolitancosmopolitan:
(adj) essentially worldwide in distribution
Najas conferta (A. Braun) A. Braun
N. graminea Delile
N. guadalupensis (Spreng.) Magnus
N. indica (Willd.) Cham.
N. marina L.
Najas gracillima (A.Braun ex Engelm.) Magnus is introduced into Europe.
N. graminea, N. marina, and N. minor All. have been introduced into numerous countries.
Najas graminea and N. marina are troublesome weeds in irrigation canals in numerous countries.
submersed, much-branched stem plant
Perennial perennial:
(adj) (of a plant) having a life cycle of more than two years
or annual, obligate submergedsubmerged:
(adj) (syn. submersed) under water; submerged below the water surface
, attached. Monoeciousmonoecious:
(adj) having separate male and female flowers on the same individual
or dioeciousdioecious:
(adj) having separate male and female flowers on different individuals of the same species
. Stems slender, much-branched. Leaves alternatealternate:
(adj) (of leaves) bearing one leaf per node; placed singly on the stem at different heights
, appearing whorledwhorled:
(n) bearing whorls; a type of leaf arrangement (phyllotaxis) in which leaves are in whorls
or clustered, linear; base with distinctive dilated sheath; marginmargin:
(n) edge; rim
serrate to toothed. Inflorescenceinflorescence:
(n) the arrangement of flowers on the floral axis
inconspicuous. Flowers axillaryaxillary:
(adj) in, of, or produced from an axil
, solitary or clustered, sessilesessile:
(adj) attached directly, without a stalk
, unisexualunisexual:
(adj) (of a flower) with either stamens (male) or pistils (female) but not both; consisting of only male or female flowers
. Dispersal by stem fragments or seed.
all types of water bodies
Najas are slender plants, often brittle and frequently forming large monoclonal stands. The genus contains 38 accepted species plus some subspecies worldwide and is occasionally cultivated for aquaria. Previously placed in its own family, Najadaceae, but more recently placed in Hydrocharitaceae based on phylogenetic evidence.