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Zostera marina
Zostera marina L.
Seawrack, Eelgrass
Zosteraceae (Eel-Grass Family)
Synonym(s): Zostera marina var. latifolia, Zostera marina var. stenophylla, Zostera pacifica
USDA Symbol: ZOMA
USDA Native Status: L48 (N), AK (N), CAN (N), SPM (N)
This grasslike marine herb is a seed plant, its leaves stream with the current.
Neither a seaweed nor an algae, Eelgrass is a true seed plant that has evolved an ability to live in saline waters. Currents distribute both pollen and the small fruit; propagation also occurs by means of rhizomes underneath the mud or sand. Unlike marine algae, it offers no resistance to attaching organisms, so the outer half of each blade usually is coated with a wide variety of very small marine plants and animals. Eelgrass beds are havens for scallops, crabs, and many fishes.
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Plant Characteristics
Duration: PerennialHabit: Herb
Fruit Type: Achene
Size Notes: Leaf blades up to about 4 feet long.
Fruit: Achene-like.
Bloom Information
Bloom Color: White , GreenBloom Time: Mar , Apr , May , Jun , Jul , Aug , Sep
Bloom Notes: Flowers inconspicuous.
Distribution
USA: AK , AL , CA , CT , DE , FL , MA , MD , ME , NC , NH , NJ , NY , OR , RI , VA , WACanada: NB , NS , PE
Native Distribution: Greenland to Florida.
Native Habitat: Shallow bays and coves, tidal creeks, estuaries.
Growing Conditions
Aquatic: yesNational Wetland Indicator Status
Region: | AGCP | AK | AW | CB | EMP | GP | HI | MW | NCNE | WMVE |
Status: | OBL | OBL | OBL | OBL | OBL |
Web Reference
Webref 30 - Calflora (2018) CalfloraWebref 38 - Flora of North America (2019) Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.
Webref 23 - Southwest Environmental Information Network (2009) SEINet - Arizona Chapter
Additional resources
USDA: Find Zostera marina in USDA PlantsFNA: Find Zostera marina in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Zostera marina
Metadata
Record Modified: 2023-05-25Research By: TWC Staff