Common name: Prickly Waternymph, Prickly Naiad
Najas marina subsp. latior (K.Schum.) Triest 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: 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: W.A.
Text by S. W. L. Jacobs Taxon concept: Flora of NSW 4 (1993)
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.
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