loose watermilfoil
Myriophyllum laxum
Loose watermilfoil (Myriophyllum laxum) is an aquatic perennial herb characterized by its delicate, feathery submerged leaves arranged in whorls around slender stems. This native aquatic plant plays a crucial ecological role by providing oxygen to water systems, offering shelter and breeding habitat for fish and aquatic invertebrates, and helping to stabilize sediments in freshwater environments.
Taxonomy & Classification
Kingdom
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Order
Saxifragales
Family
Haloragaceae
Genus
Myriophyllum
loose watermilfoil belongs to the family Haloragaceae, order Saxifragales, within the Magnoliopsida class.
Species Profile
Loose watermilfoil (Myriophyllum laxum) is an aquatic perennial herb characterized by its delicate, feathery submerged leaves arranged in whorls around slender stems. This native aquatic plant plays a crucial ecological role by providing oxygen to water systems, offering shelter and breeding habitat for fish and aquatic invertebrates, and helping to stabilize sediments in freshwater environments.
Loose watermilfoil (Myriophyllum laxum) is critically endangered primarily due to habitat destruction and degradation of its freshwater wetland environments. The species faces severe pressure from agricultural development, water pollution, and hydrological changes that alter the delicate aquatic ecosystems it depends upon.
Key Facts
Habitat & Distribution
Loose watermilfoil inhabits shallow freshwater environments including slow-moving streams, ponds, lakes, and wetland margins with soft substrates. It typically grows in clear to moderately turbid waters at depths ranging from 0.5 to 3 meters, preferring areas with gentle water flow and stable water levels.
Threats
IUCN Red List: Critically Endangered
Loose watermilfoil (Myriophyllum laxum) is critically endangered primarily due to habitat destruction and degradation of its freshwater wetland environments. The species faces severe pressure from agricultural development, water pollution, and hydrological changes that alter the delicate aquatic ecosystems it depends upon.
Habitat destruction from agricultural expansion
Hydrological alterations and water level changes
Water pollution from agricultural runoff
Climate change impacts on wetland systems
Competition from invasive aquatic species
Community Sightings
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Sources & Attribution
How to Cite
IUCN: IUCN (2025). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2025-1. Available at: https://www.iucnredlist.org. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2025-1.RLTS
GBIF: GBIF.org (2025). GBIF Home Page. Available at: https://www.gbif.org
This page: SpeciesRadar (2025). loose watermilfoil (Myriophyllum laxum). SpeciesRadar: Intelligence for Earth's Biodiversity. Available at: https://speciesradar.org/species/loose-watermilfoil