General:
Perennial aquatic herb from a fibrous root and rhizomes; flowering stems several, arising from the base of the plant to the water surface, tending to be coiled, the female ones 1-2 m long.

Leaves:
Basal leaves linear, 10-200 cm long, 1-10 mm wide, entire to minutely toothed, thin, longitudinally veined, the crosswalls often reddish, the tips rounded or abruptly pointed; stem leaves lacking.

Flowers:
Inflorescence of either numerous, nearly unstalked, axillary, male flowers or solitary, long-stalked, axillary female flowers; petals either 1, white, elliptic, about 1 mm long (male) or 3, about 0.5 mm long (female); sepals 3, greenish, broadly lanceolate, unequal, 0.5-0.8 mm long (male) or 5-6 mm long (female); stamens 2.

Fruits:
Capsules, cylindric, 5-10 cm long; seeds small, numerous.

Source:  The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

If more than one illustration is available for a species (e.g., separate illustrations were provided for two subspecies) then links to the separate images will be provided below. Note that individual subspecies or varietal illustrations are not always available.

Illustration Source:  The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Blooming Period:
Mid Summer

Fruit/Seed characteristics:
Colour: Green
Present over the Summer

Source:  The USDA

Synonyms and Alternate Names:
Vallisneria asiatica Michx.
Vallisneria neotropicalis Victorin
Vallisneria spiralis var. asiatica (Michx.) Torr.