Description 

Hydrilla verticillata is a submerged, monoecious or dioecious perennial. Its stems are branched, about 1 mm thick and up to 3 m long; the internodes are 3 to 50 mm long. The sessile leaves are formed in whorls at the nodes; there are 3-8, sometimes up to 12 leaves in a whorl. The leaves are 7-40 mm long, linear to lanceolate, with a conspicuous midrib. They have sharply toothed margins and spines on the vein on the lower side of the leaves; a few teeth may also be formed on this vein.

The inflorescences are unisexual, arising from spathes situated in the leaf axils, each flower has three sepals and three petals. All six perianth parts are clear or translucent green (the sepals usually slightly reddish).The male spathe is about 1.5 mm long, solitary in the leaf axils, somewhat spiny. The female spathe is about 5 mm long, solitary in the leaf axils. There are three petals, three stamens and three styles. The fruit is cylindrical, about 7 mm long and 1.5 mm wide. It contains 2-7 oblong-elliptic seeds.