E-Flora BC: Electronic Atlas of the Flora of British Columbia

Najas flexilis (Willd.) Rostk. & Schmidt
wavy water nymph (nodding waternymph)
Najadaceae (Water-nymph family)

Introduction to Vascular Plants

© Bryan Kelly-McArthur  Email the photographer   (Photo ID #84060)

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Distribution of Najas flexilis
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Species Information

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General:
Perennial aquatic herb from a fibrous root; stems much branched, submersed, 30-150 cm long, about 1 mm thick.
Leaves:
Basal leaves lacking; stem leaves linear, 1-3 cm long, about 0.5 mm wide, in nearly opposite pairs, the base expanded for 3-5 mm and more or less sheathing, the margins minutely toothed, tapering continuously to the slender tips.
Flowers:
Inflorescence solitary or a pair of unstalked or nearly unstalked, axillary, unisexual flowers; perianth parts lacking; male flowers with 1-chambered anthers.
Fruits:
Achenes, spindle-shaped, about 3 mm long, smooth.

Source: The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

USDA Species Characteristics

Flower Colour:
Green
Blooming Period:
Late Summer
Fruit/Seed characteristics:
Colour: Green
Present from Summer to Fall
Source:  The USDA

Habitat / Range

Ponds and marshes in the lowland, steppe and montane zones; frequent in S BC south of 53degreeN, rare northward in E BC to 55degreeN, rare on the Queen Charlotte Islands, E to NF and S to MA, CT, VA. KY, MO, NE, AZ and CA.

Source: The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Ecology

Ecological Framework for Najas flexilis

The table below shows the species-specific information calculated from
original data (BEC database) provided by the BC Ministry of Forests and Range.
(Updated August, 2013)
Site Information
 Value / Class

Minimum

Average

Maximum
Elevation (metres)
Slope Gradient (%)
Aspect (degrees)
[0 - N; 90 - E; 180 - S; 270 - W] 		0
Soil Moisture Regime (SMR)
[0 - very xeric; 4 - mesic;
8 - hydric]
Modal Nutrient Regime
Class
Number of field plots
 species was recorded in:		 17
Modal BEC Zone Class
 CWH
All BEC Zones (# of stations/zone) species was recorded in: CDF(5), CWH(12)

Climate

The climate type for this species, as reported in the: "British Columbia plant species codes and selected attributes. Version 6 Database" (Meidinger et al. 2008), is cool temperate & cool mesothermal.

Synonyms and Alternate Names

Caulinia flexilis Willd.
Najas caespitosa (Maguire) Reveal
Najas flexilis subsp. caespitosa Maguire
Najas flexilis var. congesta Farw.
Najas flexilis var. robusta Morong

Taxonomic and Nomenclatural Links

Flora North America treatment for Najadaceae
 Flora North America treatment for Najas flexilis
Genetic information (NCBI Taxonomy Database)
 International Plant Names Index
 Taxonomic Information from the World Flora Online
 Integrated Taxonomic Information System

Additional Photo Sources

Images From CalPhoto
UT Austin's Native Plant Database
 Google Image Search
 Flickr Image Search

General References

Google Scholar Search
Family References
 General Botanical References for BC
Recommended citation: Author, Date. Page title. In Klinkenberg, Brian. (Editor) 2020. E-Flora BC: Electronic Atlas of the Plants of British Columbia [eflora.bc.ca]. Lab for Advanced Spatial Analysis, Department of Geography, University of British Columbia, Vancouver. [Accessed: 2024-05-21 8:03:46 PM ]
Disclaimer: The information contained in the E-Flora atlas pages is derived from expert sources as cited in each section. This information is scientifically based. E-Flora also acts as a portal to other sites via deep links. As always, users should refer to the original sources for complete information. E-Flora BC is not responsible for the accuracy or completeness of the original information.
© E-Flora BC: An initiative of the Spatial Data Lab, Department of Geography UBC, and the UBC Herbarium.