A species of northern North America, Europe, and Eastern Asia. Although the species is known to flower on moist shores, Michigan collections are all from ca. 6–9 dm of water, where they flower and fruit on a sandy-gravelly bottom.

The usual associates of Subularia include such species as Myriophyllum tenellum and Eleocharis acicularis, as well as other somewhat similar rosette-formers such as Littorella uniflora, Isoëtes spp., Ranunculus reptans, and Juncus pelocarpus. The leaves of Subularia are less than 4 cm long, somewhat flattened dorsiventrally (especially toward the base), with numerous small hollow areas of irregular size.