Najas marinaL.

Holly-leaved Naiadholly-leaved naiadspiny naiad

WFO wfo-0000769531 Accepted WFO 2026-06 8 photographs CC0 / CC BY

Plate 1 figs. a–h · 8 separate observations

Najas marina, photographed by Иван Ковтун Ivan Kovtun
fig. a Иван Ковтун Ivan Kovtun, CC BY 4.0 / 2021-08-28 / obs. 153667839
Najas marina, photographed by Olena V. Vakarenko
fig. b Olena V. Vakarenko, CC BY 4.0 / obs. 179495357
Najas marina, photographed by Татьяна Горбушина
fig. c Татьяна Горбушина, CC0 1.0 / obs. 147206191
Najas marina, photographed by Bill Levine
fig. d Bill Levine, CC BY 4.0 / obs. 101892198
Najas marina, photographed by carnifex
fig. e carnifex, CC BY 4.0 / obs. 94879392
Najas marina, photographed by aarongunnar
fig. f aarongunnar, CC BY 4.0 / obs. 49016682
Najas marina, photographed by Amy Huie
fig. g Amy Huie, CC BY 4.0 / obs. 28609102
Najas marina, photographed by Millie Basden
fig. h Millie Basden, CC BY 4.0 / obs. 24596694

Every figure is a research-grade observation under CC0, CC BY or CC BY-SA, rehosted with the photographer’s name, the licence and the observation it came from. Photographs under a NonCommercial licence are excluded from this site and are never stored, which costs us a great many pictures and is not negotiable.

Native range 147 botanical countries

Regions where Najas marina is native: Algeria, Botswana, Burundi, Canary Is., Cape Provinces, DR Congo, Egypt, Eritrea, KwaZulu-Natal, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Réunion, Rwanda, Senegal, Socotra, Tanzania, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Altay, Amur, Buryatiya, China North-Central, China South-Central, China Southeast, Chita, Cyprus, Gulf States, Inner Mongolia, Iran, Iraq, Irkutsk, Japan, Kazakhstan, Khabarovsk, Kirgizstan, Korea, Krasnoyarsk, Lebanon-Syria, Manchuria, Mongolia, North Caucasus, Oman, Palestine, Primorye, Saudi Arabia, Sinai, Tadzhikistan, Taiwan, Transcaucasus, Türkiye, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, West Siberia, Xinjiang, Assam, Bangladesh, India, Lesser Sunda Is., Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Sumatera, West Himalaya, Austria, Baleares, Baltic States, Belarus, Belgium, Bulgaria, Central European Russia, Corse, Czechia-Slovakia, Denmark, East European Russia, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Kriti, Netherlands, Northwest European Russia, Norway, NW. Balkan Pen., Poland, Portugal, Romania, Sardegna, Sicilia, South European Russia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Türkiye-in-Europe, Ukraine, Arizona, California, Florida, Indiana, Mexico Central, Mexico Gulf, Mexico Northeast, Mexico Northwest, Mexico Southeast, Mexico Southwest, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Wisconsin, Argentina Northeast, Argentina Northwest, Aruba, Bahamas, Bolivia, Brazil North, Brazil Northeast, Brazil Southeast, Central American Pacific Is., Cuba, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Galápagos, Haiti, Jamaica, Leeward Is., Panamá, Puerto Rico, Turks-Caicos Is., Venezuela, Windward Is. AlgeriaBotswanaBurundiCape ProvincesDR CongoEgyptEritreaKwaZulu-NatalLibyaMadagascarMalawiMoroccoMozambiqueNamibiaRwandaSenegalTanzaniaTunisiaUgandaZambiaZimbabweAltayAmurBuryatiyaChina North-CentralChina South-CentralChina SoutheastChitaCyprusGulf StatesInner MongoliaIranIraqIrkutskJapanKazakhstanKhabarovskKirgizstanKrasnoyarskLebanon-SyriaManchuriaMongoliaNorth CaucasusOmanPalestinePrimoryeSaudi ArabiaSinaiTadzhikistanTaiwanTranscaucasusTürkiyeTurkmenistanUzbekistanWest SiberiaXinjiangAssamBangladeshIndiaLesser Sunda Is.PakistanSri LankaSumateraWest HimalayaAustriaBaltic StatesBelarusBelgiumBulgariaCentral European RussiaCorseCzechia-SlovakiaDenmarkEast European RussiaFinlandFranceGermanyGreeceHungaryItalyKritiNetherlandsNorthwest European RussiaNorwayNW. Balkan Pen.PolandPortugalRomaniaSiciliaSouth European RussiaSpainSwedenSwitzerlandTürkiye-in-EuropeUkraineArizonaCaliforniaFloridaIndianaMexico CentralMexico GulfMexico NortheastMexico NorthwestMexico SoutheastMexico SouthwestMichiganMinnesotaMontanaNevadaNew MexicoNew YorkNorth DakotaOhioPennsylvaniaSouth DakotaTexasUtahWisconsinArgentina NortheastArgentina NorthwestBoliviaBrazil NorthBrazil NortheastBrazil SoutheastCentral American Pacific Is.CubaDominican RepublicEl SalvadorHaitiJamaicaPanamáPuerto RicoVenezuela Canary Is.MauritiusRéunionKoreaBalearesSardegnaArubaBahamasGalápagosLeeward Is.Turks-Caicos Is.Windward Is.
Native distribution of Najas marina, after Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants. Introduced, extinct and doubtful records are excluded, so this is where the plant is from, not everywhere it now grows. Regions too small to draw at this scale are marked with a dot.
RegionTDWG codeContinent
Altay ALT ASIA-TEMPERATE
Amur AMU
Buryatiya BRY
China North-Central CHN
China South-Central CHC
China Southeast CHS
Chita CTA
Cyprus CYP
Gulf States GST
Inner Mongolia CHI
Iran IRN
Iraq IRQ
Irkutsk IRK
Japan JAP
Kazakhstan KAZ
Khabarovsk KHA
Kirgizstan KGZ
Korea KOR
Krasnoyarsk KRA
Lebanon-Syria LBS
Manchuria CHM
Mongolia MON
North Caucasus NCS
Oman OMA
Palestine PAL
Primorye PRM
Saudi Arabia SAU
Sinai SIN
Tadzhikistan TZK
Taiwan TAI
Transcaucasus TCS
Türkiye TUR
Turkmenistan TKM
Uzbekistan UZB
West Siberia WSB
Xinjiang CHX
Austria AUT EUROPE
Baleares BAL
Baltic States BLT
Belarus BLR
Belgium BGM
Bulgaria BUL
Central European Russia RUC
Corse COR
Czechia-Slovakia CZE
Denmark DEN
East European Russia RUE
Finland FIN
France FRA
Germany GER
Great Britain GRB
Greece GRC
Hungary HUN
Italy ITA
Kriti KRI
Netherlands NET
Northwest European Russia RUW
Norway NOR
NW. Balkan Pen. YUG
Poland POL
Portugal POR
Romania ROM
Sardegna SAR
Sicilia SIC
South European Russia RUS
Spain SPA
Sweden SWE
Switzerland SWI
Türkiye-in-Europe TUE
Ukraine UKR
Algeria ALG AFRICA
Botswana BOT
Burundi BUR
Canary Is. CNY
Cape Provinces CPP
DR Congo ZAI
Egypt EGY
Eritrea ERI
KwaZulu-Natal NAT
Libya LBY
Madagascar MDG
Malawi MLW
Mauritius MAU
Morocco MOR
Mozambique MOZ
Namibia NAM
Réunion REU
Rwanda RWA
Senegal SEN
Socotra SOC
Tanzania TAN
Tunisia TUN
Uganda UGA
Zambia ZAM
Zimbabwe ZIM
Arizona ARI NORTHERN AMERICA
California CAL
Florida FLA
Indiana INI
Mexico Central MXC
Mexico Gulf MXG
Mexico Northeast MXE
Mexico Northwest MXN
Mexico Southeast MXT
Mexico Southwest MXS
Michigan MIC
Minnesota MIN
Montana MNT
Nevada NEV
New Mexico NWM
New York NWY
North Dakota NDA
Ohio OHI
Pennsylvania PEN
South Dakota SDA
Texas TEX
Utah UTA
Wisconsin WIS
Argentina Northeast AGE SOUTHERN AMERICA
Argentina Northwest AGW
Aruba ARU
Bahamas BAH
Bolivia BOL
Brazil North BZN
Brazil Northeast BZE
Brazil Southeast BZL
Central American Pacific Is. CPI
Cuba CUB
Dominican Republic DOM
El Salvador ELS
Galápagos GAL
Haiti HAI
Jamaica JAM
Leeward Is. LEE
Panamá PAN
Puerto Rico PUE
Turks-Caicos Is. TCI
Venezuela VEN
Windward Is. WIN
Assam ASS ASIA-TROPICAL
Bangladesh BAN
India IND
Lesser Sunda Is. LSI
Pakistan PAK
Sri Lanka SRL
Sumatera SUM
West Himalaya WHM

Not drawn on the map: Socotra, Great Britain. We hold no public-domain boundary for these regions, so they are listed rather than guessed at.

Region boundaries approximated from Natural Earth (public domain) and mapped to TDWG World Geographical Scheme for Recording Plant Distributions (WGSRPD) level-3 botanical countries (Brummitt 2001). Indicative, not the official WGSRPD geometry.

Also published as 38 synonyms

A synonym is not an error. It is a record of botanists disagreeing, in print, about where this plant belongs. Each of these was somebody’s considered answer.

  • Najas armata H.Lindb.
  • Najas arsenariensis Maire
  • Najas brachycarpa (Trautv.) A.V.Grebenjuk
  • Najas delilei Rouy
  • Najas gracilis Morong
  • Najas intermedia Wolfg. ex Gorski
  • Najas intramongolica Ma
  • Najas latifolia A.Braun
  • Najas latior F.Muell. ex K.Schum.
  • Najas major subsp. armata (Horn) D.Pav. & M.Pires
  • Najas major subsp. intermedia (Wolfg. ex Gorski) K.Richt.
  • Najas major var. intermedia (Wolfg. ex Gorski) A.Braun
  • Najas marina subsp. armata Horn
  • Najas marina subsp. brachycarpa (Trautv.) Tzvelev
  • Najas marina subsp. delilei (Rouy) Reekmans
  • Najas marina subsp. latior (K.Schum.) L.Triest
  • Najas marina var. angustifolia A.Braun
  • Najas marina var. angustissima K.Schum.
  • Najas marina var. bollei K.Schum.
  • Najas marina var. california Rendle
  • Najas marina var. delilei (Rouy) Maire
  • Najas marina var. denticulata Rendle
  • Najas marina var. genuina K.Schum.
  • Najas marina var. gracilis (Morong) Morong

and 14 more.

Sourcesevery claim on this page

  1. World Flora Online Plant List. accepted name, authority, classification. CC0. Retrieved 2026-07-12.
  2. iNaturalist. photographs and flowering annotations, CC0 / CC BY / CC BY-SA only. per photograph. Retrieved 2026-06-27.
  3. Wikidata. common name (P1843), joined on the World Flora Online identifier (P7715). CC0. Retrieved 2026-07-13.
  4. Kew, World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP v16). native distribution by TDWG level-3 botanical country, and life form. CC BY 3.0. Retrieved 2026-06-04.

We publish what we can source and we say so when we cannot. This page has no care advice and no toxicity claim, because we do not yet have those from a source we can cite.