PROTECTING WISCONSIN'S BIODIVERSITY

 
 
   
 
Scientific Name Common Name Global Rank State Rank Federal Status WI Status

Thread-like Naiad (Najas gracillima)

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Photo by Paul Skawinski

 

Counties with Mapped NHI Occurrences

Thread-like Naiad (Najas gracillima), a Wisconsin Special Concern plant, is found in oligotrophic lakes with soft water, often in calm, somewhat shallow water. Blooming occurs in July, fruiting August through early-September. The optimal identification period for this species is July through August.

 
 
 

Thread-like naiad is an aquatic forb/herb, up to 2dm long, with tiny, axillary flowers with a perianth-like spathe. Male flowers have a single anther, female flowers have a style that is offset from the fruit's apex. Fruits are light brown, 2-3mm long and 0.4-0.7mm wide, with 20-45 rows of pits. Internodes are 0.1-3.2cm long and are without prickles. Leaves are 0.5-3cm long and 0.1-0.5mm wide, with an expanded base that is fringed across the summit. The leaf margins are minutely serrulate with 13-17 teeth on each side that are difficult to see even with a hand lens.

Of the other Najas species found in Wisconsin, Najas minor has stiffer, recurved leaves, N marina is dioecious and has prickly internodes and midvein, N guadalupensis has leaves with an abruptly acute tip, and N flexilis has slender leaves that taper to an apex.

Blooming occurs in July, fruiting August through early-September.

Annual. The optimal identification period for this species is July through August.

Associated species include Nymphaea odorata, Brassenia schreberi, Dulichium arundinacea, Potamogeton epihydrus, Nuphar variegata, Sagittaria latifolia, Utricularia vulgaris, Potamogeton pusillus, and P amplifolius

Thread-like naiad prefers sandy or silty soils and is found in oligotrophic lakes with soft water, often in calm, somewhat shallow water.

Avoid known individual plant locations and conduct operations elsewhere when they are least likely to cause damage. Ideally, this would involve frozen, snow-covered ground. However, in areas of the state where frozen conditions are unreliable, very dry soils late in the growing season might be the best available alternative. Consult with a biologist, if needed.

Avoid broadcast spraying of herbicides and use care with spot spraying.

Because this plant is an annual, work may safely be conducted before the plants emerge or after they have developed mature seeds.

Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN) are associated with habitats (or natural communities) and places on the landscape. Understanding relationships among SGCN, natural communities and ecological landscapes help us make decisions about issues affecting SGCN and their habitat and how to respond. Download the Wildlife Action Plan association score spreadsheet to explore rare species, natural communities and ecological landscape associations

Conservation actions respond to issues or threats, which adversely affect species of greatest conservation need (SGCN) or their habitats. Besides actions such as restoring wetlands or planting resilient tree species in northern communities, research, surveys and monitoring are also among conservation actions described in the Wisconsin Wildlife Action Plan because lack of information can threaten our ability to successfully preserve and care for natural resources.