brittleleaf naiad
Najas minor All.
Overview
- Appearance
- Najas minor is an herbaceous, aquatic annual with stems that can grow 4-7.75 in. (10-20 cm) long. These stems can be up to 0.04 in. (1 mm) thick.
- Foliage
- The oppositely arranged, dark green leaves become recurved as they age, and have serrulate margins with 7-15 small teeth on each side. The leaf base is truncate or lobed. The leaves measure 0.2-1.25 in. (0.5-3.5 cm) long and 0.007-0.05 in. (0.1-1.2 mm) wide.
- Flowers
- Najas minor is a monoecious plant, with 1-2 flowers per axil. The male flowers are located distally and are 0.08 in. (1.9-2.2 mm) in size. The involucre has two lobes and the beaks are 0.02-0.08 in. (0.4-2.1 mm) in length. The female flowers are located in the distal to proximal axils and measure 0.8 in. (2.2 mm) in size.
- Fruit
- The spindle-shaped seeds of this plant are 0.05-0.1 in. (1.5-3 mm) in size and purple colored.
- Ecological Threat
- Najas minor has the ability to form thick stands that can cover or clog a lake or stream. This plant is extremely brittle, which allows it to fragment and get moved via boats, waterfowl and river channels. Waterfowl readily eat and move this plant from waterbody to waterbody. In North Carolina, this plant is reported to out-compete other exotics such as Hydrilla verticillata. This plant needs to be watched, contained or removed if found.
Selected Images
Maps
EDDMapS Distribution - This map is incomplete and is based only on current site and county level reports made by experts, herbaria, and literature. For more information, visit www.eddmaps.org
State List - This map identifies those states that list this species on their invasive species list or law. For more information, visit Invasive.org
Invasive Listing Sources
- Alabama Invasive Plant Council
- Alabama Noxious Weeds - Class C Noxious Weed
- Connecticut Invasive Plant List
- Connecticut Invasive Plant Working Group
- Connecticut Noxious Weeds
- Georgia Exotic Pest Plant Council - Category 4
- Indiana Invasive Species Council - Invasive Plant List
- Indiana Pest Species
- Indiana Prohibited Plant Species
- Invasive Plant Species of West Virginia
- Kentucky Exotic Pest Plant Council - Significant Threat
- Maryland Aquatic Nuisance Species Plan
- Maryland Department of Natural Resources Policy: Restriction on Planting Exotic Invasive Plants
- Massachusetts Invasive Plants Advisory Group List
- Massachusetts Noxious Weeds
- Massachusetts Prohibited Plant List
- Mid-Atlantic Field Guide to Aquatic Invasive Species
- Minnesota DNR invasive species list
- National Park Service, Mid-Atlantic Exotic Plant Management Team Invasive Plant List
- National Park Service, National Capital Region Exotic Plant Management Team Invasive Plant List
- New Hampshire Prohibited Aquatic Species
- New Jersey Invasive Species Strike Team 2017 Invasive Species List
- Nonnative Invasive Species in Southern Forest and Grassland Ecosystems
- Ohio Invasive Species Council
- Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Invasive Plants
- Rhode Island Natural History Survey
- South Carolina Illegal Aquatic Plants
- To be proposed for MISC
- Vermont Noxious Weeds
- Virginia Invasive Plant Species List
- WeedUS - Database of Plants Invading Natural Areas in the United States
- West Virginia Native Plant Society, Flora West Virginia Project, and West Virginia Curatorial Database System, September 3, 1999
- Wisconsin Noxious Weeds
- Wisconsin's Invasive species rule – NR 40
Taxonomic Rank
| Kingdom: Plantae |
| Phylum: Magnoliophyta |
| Class: Liliopsida |
| Subclass: Alismatidae |
| Order: Najadales |
| Family: Najadaceae |
| Genus: Najas |
| Subject: Najas minor All. |
Synonyms and Other Names
Other Common Names:
brittle waternymph, brittleleaf naiad, European naiad, spinyleaf naiad, slender-leaved naiad
Related Scientific Names:
Caulinia minor All. (Synonym)