Najas marina
L.
Spiny Naiad
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(c) Rob Palmer, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), uploaded by Rob Palmer
iNaturalist· cc-by-nc
(c) Ricky Taylor, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Ricky Taylor
iNaturalist· cc-by-nc
(c) jrebman, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by jrebman
Description
Najas marina is a PERENNIAL growing to 0.5 m (1ft 8in). It is in flower from September to November, and the seeds ripen from September to November. The species is dioecious (individual flowers are either male or female, but only one sex is to be found on any one plant so both male and female plants must be grown if seed is required). and is pollinated by Water. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils and can grow in saline soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It can grow in water.
Edible Uses
Young plant - raw.
Distribution
Cosmopolitan, found in most areas of the world, including Britain, but absent from colder regions.
Where It Grows
TEMPERATE ASIA: Cyprus, Egypt (Sinai), Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Turkey, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Russian Federation (Altay, Buryatia, Chita, Krasnoyarsk, Novosibirsk, Tyumen), Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Mongolia, Russian Federation (Amur), China (Anhui Sheng, Guangdong Sheng, Guangxi Zhuangzu Zizhiqu, Hebei Sheng, Heilongjiang Sheng, Henan Sheng, Hubei Sheng, Hunan Sheng, Jiangsu Sheng, Jiangxi Sheng, Jilin Sheng, Liaoning Sheng, Nei Mongol Zizhiqu, Shandong Sheng, Shanxi Sheng, Xinjiang Uygur Zizhiqu, Yunnan Sheng, Zhejiang Sheng), Korea, Taiwan TROPICAL ASIA: India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Myanmar, Vietnam, Malaysia NORTHERN AMERICA: United States (Indiana, Michigan, New York, Minnesota, North Dakota, Wisconsin, Florida, Texas, Arizona, California, Nevada, Utah), Mexico (Yucatán) SOUTHERN AMERICA: Hispaniola, Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Cuba, Jamaica, United States (Puerto Rico), Guatemala, Panama, El Salvador, Venezuela, Brazil, Bolivia, Argentina (Mendoza, Corrientes, San Luis) PACIFIC: United States (Hawaii) AUSTRALASIA: Australia (New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, Western Australia) EUROPE: Denmark, Finland, United Kingdom, Norway, Sweden, Austria, Belgium, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Poland, Slovakia, Belarus, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Moldova, Russian Federation (Kalmykija, Respublika), Ukraine (incl. Krym), Albania, Bulgaria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Greece (incl. Crete), Croatia, Italy (incl. Sardinia, Sicily), Montenegro, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain, France, Portugal AFRICA: Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, Tunisia, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Uganda, Mozambique, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia, South Africa (Kwa. Zulu-Natal, Western Cape)
Cultivation
A submerged water plant, succeeding in shallow fresh or brackish water. This is one of the few genera of plants where fertilization takes place under the surface of the water. Dioecious, male and female plants must be grown if seed is required.
Propagation
Seed - we have no information on this species but suggest sowing the seed in situ as soon as it is ripe if this is possible. Otherwise store the seed in water in a cool place and sow it in situ in the spring. Division in the growing season.
