Seagrass

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Not to be confused with seaweed, plant-like algae.

Floridian seagrass bed

Seagrasses are flowering plants (Division Angiospermae) belonging to four plant families
(Posidoniaceae, Zosteraceae, Hydrocharitaceae, or Cymodoceaceae), all in the order
Alismatales (in the class of monocotyledons), which grow in marine, fully saline
environments. There are 12 genera with some 58 species known.

Contents

1 Ecology

2 Taxonomy

3 Environmental services

4 Uses

5 Disturbances and threats

6 See also

7 References

8 Further references

9 External links

Ecology

White-spotted puffers are often found in seagrass areas.

These unusual marine flowering plants are called seagrasses because in many species the
leaves are long and narrow, grow by rhizome extension, and often grow in large "meadows",
which look like grassland: in other words, many of the species of seagrasses superficially
resemble terrestrial grasses of the family Poaceae.
Like all autotrophic plants, seagrasses photosynthesize so are limited to growing in the
submerged photic zone, and most occur in shallow and sheltered coastal waters anchored in
sand or mud bottoms. Most species undergo submarine pollination and complete their entire
life cycle underwater. There are about sixty species worldwide.
Seagrasses form extensive beds or meadows, which can be either monospecific (made up of a
single species) or in mixed beds where more than one species coexist. In temperate areas,
usually one or a few species dominate (like the eelgrass Zostera marina in the North
Atlantic), whereas tropical beds usually are more diverse, with up to thirteen species recorded
in the Philippines.
Seagrass beds are highly diverse and productive ecosystems, and can harbor hundreds of
associated species from all phyla, for example juvenile and adult fish, epiphytic and freeliving macroalgae and microalgae, mollusks, bristle worms, and nematodes. Few species
were originally considered to feed directly on seagrass leaves (partly because of their low
nutritional content), but scientific reviews and improved working methods have shown that
seagrass herbivory is a highly important link in the food chain, with hundreds of species
feeding on seagrasses worldwide, including green turtles, dugongs, manatees, fish, geese,
swans, sea urchins and crabs.
Some fish species that visit/feed on the seagrass raise their young in adjacent mangroves or
coral reefs. Also, seagrass traps sediment and slows water movement, causing suspended
sediment to fall out. The trapping of sediment benefits coral by reducing sediment loads in
the water.[1]

Environmental services

Seagrass bed with several echinoids, Grahams Harbour, San Salvador Island, Bahamas

Seagrass bed with dense turtle grass (Thalassia testudinum) and an immature queen conch
(Eustrombus gigas), Rice Bay, San Salvador Island, Bahamas

Evolution of seagrasses
Seagrasses are sometimes labeled ecosystem engineers, because they partly create their own
habitat: the leaves slow down water-currents increasing sedimentation, and the seagrass roots
and rhizomes stabilize the seabed.
Their importance for associated species is mainly due to provision of shelter (through their
three-dimensional structure in the water column), and for their extraordinarily high rate of
primary production. As a result, seagrasses provide coastal zones with a number of ecosystem
goods and ecosystem services, for instance habitat for commercially and recreationally
valued fishery species,[3] fishing grounds, wave protection, oxygen production and protection
against coastal erosion. Seagrass meadows account for more than 10% of the oceans total
carbon storage.[4] Per hectare, it holds twice as much carbon dioxide as rain forests. Yearly,
seagrasses sequester about 27.4 million tons of CO2 (Reference Needed). Due to global
warming, some seagrasses will go extinct Posidonia oceanica is expected to go extinct, or
nearly so, by 2050. This would result in CO2 release.[5][6]

Uses
Historically, seagrasses were collected as fertilizer for sandy soil. This was an important use
in the Ria de Aveiro, Portugal, where the plants collected were known as molio.
In the early 20th century, in France and, to a lesser extent, the Channel Islands, dried
seagrasses were used as a mattress (paillasse) filling - such mattresses were in high demand
by French forces during World War I. It was also used for bandages and other purposes.
Currently, seagrass has been used in furniture, and woven like rattan.

Disturbances and threats

Natural disturbances, such as grazing, storms, ice-scouring, and desiccation, are an inherent
part of seagrass ecosystem dynamics. Seagrasses display an extraordinarily high degree of
phenotypic plasticity, adapting rapidly to changing environmental conditions.
Seagrasses are in global decline, with some 30,000 km2 (12,000 sq mi) lost during recent
decades. The main cause is human disturbance, most notably eutrophication, mechanical
destruction of habitat, and overfishing. Excessive input of nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus) is
directly toxic to seagrasses, but most importantly, it stimulates the growth of epiphytic and
free-floating macro- and micro-algae. This weakens the sunlight, reducing the photosynthesis
that nourishes the seagrass and the primary production results.
Decaying seagrass leaves and algae fuels increasing algal blooms, resulting in a positive
feedback. This can cause a complete regime shift from seagrass to algal dominance.
Accumulating evidence also suggests that overfishing of top predators (large predatory fish)
could indirectly increase algal growth by reducing grazing control performed by mesograzers,
such as crustaceans and gastropods, through a trophic cascade.
Macro algal blooms cause the decline and eradication of seagrasses throughout areas where
nutrient loading or other sources of stimulated algal growth exist. Known as nuisance species,
macroalgae grow in filamentous and sheet-like forms and form thick unattached mats over
the seagrasse, occurring as epiphytes on seagrass leaves. Eutrophication leads to the forming
of a bloom, causing the attenuation of light in the water column, which eventually leads to
anoxic conditions for the seagrass and organisms living in/around the plant(s). In addition to
the direct blockage of light to the plant, benthic macroalgae have low carbon/nitrogen
content, causing their decomposition to stimulate bacterial activity, leading to sediment
resuspension, an increase in water turbidity, and the further attenuation of light.[7][8]
When humans drive motor boats over shallow seagrass areas, sometimes the propeller blade
can tear out or cut the seagrass.
The most-used methods to protect and restore seagrass meadows include nutrient and
pollution reductions, protection using marine protected areas, and restoration using seagrass
transplantation. There is also increasing recognition of the need to increase the resilience of
seagrass to the impacts of future environmental change.[9]

See also

Alismatales

Blue carbon

Salt marsh

Mangrove

References

1.
Seagrass-Watch: What is seagrass? Retrieved 2012-11-16.
Waycott, Michelle; McMahon, Kathryn; Lavery, Paul (2014). A Guide to Southern
Temperate Seagrasses. CSIRO Publishing. ISBN 9781486300150.
Jackson et al., 2015, Use of a seagrass residency index to apportion commercial
fishery landing values and recreation fisheries expenditure to seagrass habitat service
"Seagrasses Store as Much Carbon as Forests". Livescience. TechMedia Network. 21
May 2012. Retrieved 29 March 2014.
EOS magazine, JulyAugust 2012
Laffoley, Dan (December 26, 2009). "To Save the Planet, Save the Seas". The New
York Times. Retrieved December 2009.
McGlathery KJ (2001) "Macroalgal blooms contribute to the decline of seagrass in
nutrientenriched coastal waters" Journal of Phycology, 37: 453456.
Fox SE, YS Olsen and AC Spivak (2010) "Effects of bottom-up and top-down
controls and climate change on estuarine macrophyte communities and the ecosystem
services they provide" In: PF Kemp (Ed) Eco-DAS Symposium Proceedings, ALSO, Chapter
8: 129145.
1.

Unsworth et al. 2015 "A framework for the resilience of seagrass

ecosystems" Marine Pollution Bulletin'

Further references

den Hartog, C. 1970. The Sea-grasses of the World. Verhandl. der Koninklijke
Nederlandse Akademie van Wetenschappen, Afd. Natuurkunde, No. 59(1).

Duarte, Carlos M. and Carina L. Chiscano Seagrass biomass and production: a

reassessment Aquatic Botany Volume 65, Issues 1-4, November 1999, Pages 159174.

Green, E.P. & Short, F.T.(eds). 2003. World Atlas of Seagrasses. University of
California Press, Berkeley, CA. 298 pp.

Hemminga, M.A. & Duarte, C. 2000. Seagrass Ecology. Cambridge University Press,
Cambridge. 298 pp.

Hogarth, Peter The Biology of Mangroves and Seagrasses (Oxford University Press,
2007)

Larkum, Anthony W.D., Robert J. Orth, and Carlos M. Duarte (Editors) Seagrasses:
Biology, Ecology and Conservation (Springer, 2006)

Orth, Robert J. et al. "A Global Crisis for Seagrass Ecosystems" BioScience
December 2006 / Vol. 56 No. 12, Pages 987-996.

Short, F.T. & Coles, R.G.(eds). 2001. Global Seagrass Research Methods. Elsevier
Science, Amsterdam. 473 pp.

A.W.D. Larkum, R.J. Orth, and C.M. Duarte (eds). Seagrass Biology: A Treatise. CRC
Press, Boca Raton, FL, in press.

A. Schwartz; M. Morrison; I. Hawes; J. Halliday. 2006. Physical and biological

characteristics of a rare marine habitat: sub-tidal seagrass beds of offshore islands.
Science for Conservation 269. 39 pp. [1]

Waycott, M, McMahon, K, & Lavery, P 2014, A guide to southern temperate

seagrasses, CSIRO Publishing, Melbourne

External links

Seagrass and Seagrass Beds overview from the Smithsonian Ocean Portal

Nature Geoscience article describing the locations of the seagrass meadows around
the world

Seagrass-Watch - the largest scientific, non-destructive, seagrass assessment and

monitoring program in the world

Seagrass Ecosystem Research Group at Swansea University - Inter-disciplinary

marine research for conservation

Restore-A-Scar - a non-profit campaign to restore seagrass meadows damaged by

boat props

SeagrassNet - global seagrass monitoring program

The Seagrass Fund at The Ocean Foundation

Project Seagrass - Advancing the conservation of seagrass through education,

influence, research and action

Taxonomy of seagrasses

World Seagrass Association

SeagrassLI

Seagrass Science and Management in the South China Sea and Gulf of Thailand

Marine Ecology (December 2006) - special issue on seagrasses

Cambodian Seagrasses

Seagrass Productivity - COST Action ES0906

Phyllospadix
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
surfgrass

Phyllospadix sp.

Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Monocots
Order:
Alismatales
Family:
Zosteraceae

Genus:

Phyllospadix
Hooker (1840)

Phyllospadix is a food source for many animals including this Tectura palacea.
Phyllospadix, surfgrass,[1] is a genus of seagrass, a flowering plant in the family Zosteraceae,
described as a genus in 1840.[2][3][4][5] Phyllospadix grows in marine waters along the coasts of
the temperate North Pacific.[5]
It is one of the seagrass genera that can perform completely submerged pollination.[6]

Species
Accepted species[7]
1. Phyllospadix iwatensis -- China, Korea, Japan, Russian Far East
2. Phyllospadix japonicus -- China, Korea, Japan
3. Phyllospadix juzepczukii -- Russian Far East
4. Phyllospadix scouleri (type species) -- Alaska to Baja California
5. Phyllospadix serrulatus -- Alaska, British Columbia, Washington
6. Phyllospadix torreyi -- British Columbia to northwestern Mexico

References
1.
"Phyllospadix". Natural Resources Conservation Service PLANTS Database. USDA.
Retrieved 30 September 2015.
Hooker, William Jackson. 1840. Flora boreali-americana, or, the botany of the
northern parts of British America 2: 171 description in Latin, commentary and habitat
information in English
Hooker, William Jackson. 1840. Flora boreali-americana, or, the botany of the
northern parts of British America 2: figure CLXXXVI line drawing as illustration
Tropicos, Phyllospadix Hook.
Larkum, Anthony W.D.; Duarte, Carlos; Orth, Robert J., eds. (2005). "Taxonomy and
biogeorgraphy of seagrasses". Seagrasses: Biology, Ecology and Conservation. SpringerVerlag New York, LLC. ISBN 978-1-4020-2942-4.
http://www.mbari.org/staff/conn/botany/seagrass/erika/SEX.HTM

 Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families

1.

Guiry, M.D.; Guiry, G.M. (2008). "Phyllospadix". AlgaeBase. World-wide electronic

publication, National University of Ireland, Galway. Retrieved 2009-02-21.

Zostera
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This article is about saltwater eelgrasses. For freshwater eelgrasses, see
Vallisneria.
Zostera (marine
eelgrasses)

Zostera marina

Scientific classification
Kingdom:

Plantae

(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Monocots
Order:

Alismatales

Family:

Zosteraceae

Genus:

Zostera

L. (1753)

Global distribution map of

Zostera. Green indicates
presence.

Synonyms[1]

Alga Tourn. ex Lam.

Heterozostera
(Setch.) Hartog

Nanozostera Toml. &

Posl.

Zostera sp in Mussel Ridge Channel, Birch Island, Maine

Zostera is a small genus of widely distributed seagrasses, commonly called marine eelgrass
or (outside North America) simply eelgrass. The genus Zostera contains 15 species.
Contents

1 Ecology

2 Distribution
o

2.1 Current Status

3 Uses

4 Species

5 References

6 External links

Ecology

Zostera marina is found on sandy substrates or in estuaries, usually submerged or partially

floating. Most Zostera are perennial. They have long, bright green, ribbon-like leaves, the
width of which are about 1 centimetre (0.4 in). Short stems grow up from extensive, white
branching rhizomes. The flowers are enclosed in the sheaths of the leaf bases; the fruits are
bladdery and can float.
Zostera beds are important for sediment deposition, substrate stabilization, as substrate for
epiphytic algae and micro-invertebrates, and as nursery grounds for many species of
economically important fish and shellfish. Zostera often forms beds in bay mud in the
estuarine setting. It is an important food for brant geese and wigeons, and even (occasionally)
caterpillars of the grass moth Dolicharthria punctalis.
The slime mold Labyrinthula zosterae can cause wasting disease of Zostera, with Z. marina
being particularly susceptible, causing a decrease in the populations of the fauna that depend
on Zostera.
Zostera is able to maintain its turgor at a constant pressure in response to fluctuations in
environmental osmolarity. It achieves this by losing solutes as the tide goes out and gaining
solutes as the tide comes in.
Distribution

The genus as a whole is widespread throughout seashores of much of the Northern

Hemisphere as well as Australia, New Zealand, Southeast Asia and southern Africa. The
discovery of Z. chilensis in 2005 adds an isolated population on the Pacific coast of South
America to the distribution. One species (Z. noltii) occurs along the land-locked Caspian Sea.
Current Status

Eelgrass once grew in abundance in Barnegat Bay, New Jersey, where it was harvested, dried
and used for insulation in houses, such as the governor's summer mansion in Island Beach
State Park. A blight decimated the eelgrass, which ended harvesting of the plant. The plant is
making a gradual comeback.
Uses

Eelgrass has been used for food by the Seri tribe of Native Americans on the coast of Sonora,
Mexico. The rhizomes and leaf-bases of eelgrass were eaten fresh or dried into cakes for
winter food. It was also used for smoking deer meat. The Seri language has many words
related to eelgrass and eelgrass-harvesting. The month of April is called xnoois ihaat iizax,
literally "the month when the eelgrass seed is mature".[2]
Zostera has also been used as packing material and as stuffing for mattresses and cushions.

On the Danish island of Ls it has been used for thatching roofs. Roofs of eelgrass are said
to be heavy, but also much longer-lasting and easier to thatch and maintain than roofs done
with more conventional thatching material.
Zostera can also be utilized to produce biomass energy using the Jean Pain method.
Species
Accepted species[1]
1. Zostera angustifolia (Hornem.) Rchb. - Russian Far East, British Isles,
Denmark, Sweden
2. Zostera asiatica Miki - Russian Far East, Japan, Korea, NE China
3. Zostera caespitosa Miki - Russian Far East, Japan, Korea, NE China
4. Zostera capensis Setchell - Madagascar; Kenya to Cape Province
5. Zostera capricorni Ascherson - New Guinea, Australia, New Zealand
6. Zostera caulescens Miki - Russian Far East, Japan, Korea, NE China
7. Zostera chilensis (J.Kuo) S.W.L.Jacobs & D.H.Les - Chile
8. Zostera japonica Ascherson & Graebner - Russian Far East, Japan, Korea,
China, Vietnam
9. Zostera marina L. - shores of North Pacific, North Atlantic, Mediterranean,
Black Sea, Sea of Okhotsk
10.Zostera mucronata den Hartog - Australia
11.Zostera muelleri Irmisch ex Ascherson - Australia
12.Zostera nigricaulis (J.Kuo) S.W.L.Jacobs & D.H.Les - Australia
13.Zostera noltii Hornem. - shores of Northeastern Atlantic, Mediterranean,
Black Sea, Caspian Sea
14.Zostera novazelandica Setchell - New Zealand
15.Zostera polychlamys (J.Kuo) S.W.L.Jacobs & D.H.Les - Australia
16.Zostera tasmanica Martens ex Ascherson - Australia
References
1.
Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families

1.

Felger, Richard; Moser, Mary B. (1985). People of the Desert and

Sea: Ethnobotany of the Seri Indians. Tucson: University of Arizona Press.

External links
Wikispecies has information related to: Zostera

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Zostera.

Flora Europaea: Zostera

Flora of North America: Zostera

Flora of China: Zostera species list

Wasting disease of Zostera

Historical Changes of Eelgrass in Buzzards Bay, MA (USA)

Long Island's Seagrass conservation website, Seagrass.LI

Enhalus
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Enhalus

Enhalus acoroides

Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Monocots
Order:
Alismatales
Family:
Hydrocharitaceae
Enhalus
Genus:
Rich.[1]

Binomial name

Enhalus acoroides
(L.f.) Royle[2]

Synonyms[3]

Stratiotes acoroides
L.f.

Enhalus koenigii Rich.

Vallisneria
sphaerocarpa Blanco

Enhalus marinus Griff.

Enhalus is a monotypic genus of marine flowering plants.[4] Enhalus is large seagrass native
to coastal waters of the tropical Indian and Western Pacific Oceans.[4] The strap-shaped leaves
arise directly from the rhizomes and can reach 1 m in length.[4] Enhalus is surface pollinated
with male flowers that detach from the plant to float on the surface until they reach a female
flower where pollination can occur.[4]

Species

Enhalus acoroides.

During a bloom of Enhalus acoroides, tiny male flowers float on the water like bits of
styrofoam. When several come near one another, they tend to form rafts by sticking in
an orderly manner.


The female flower in full bloom. The white petals fall off the day after blooming.

References
1.
Mem. Inst. Par. ii. (1811) (Math.-Phys.)., 64. (Index Kewensis)
Illustrations of the Botany of the Himalayan Mountains 1 1839 (APNI)
Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families
1

Larkum, Anthony W.D.; Duarte, Carlos; Orth, Robert J., eds. (2005). "Taxonomy
and biogeorgraphy of seagrasses". Seagrasses: Biology, Ecology and Conservation.
Springer-Verlag New York, LLC. ISBN 978-1-4020-2942-4.

Guiry, M.D.; Guiry, G.M. (2008). "Enhalus". AlgaeBase. World-wide electronic

publication, National University of Ireland, Galway. Retrieved 2009-02-21.

Halophila
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
tape-grasses

Halophila johnsonii - Johnson's

Seagrass

Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Monocots
Order:
Alismatales
Family:
Hydrocharitaceae
Halophila
Genus:
Thouars

Synonyms[1]

Barkania Ehrenb.

Lemnopsis Zipp. ex Zoll.

Bed of Johnson's Seagrass

Halophila is a genus of seagrasses in the family Hydrocharitaceae, the tape-grasses. It was
described as a genus in 1806.[2] The number of its contained species, and its own placement in
the order Alismatales, has been subject to revision by botanical authors.
It is widespread in tropical waters, the distribution range also extends to subtropical and
temperate waters primarily the Indian and Pacific Oceans but also the Mediterranean and
Caribbean Seas and the Gulf of Mexico.[1]
Unlike other seagrasses, the leaves of some species of Halophila do not have basal sheaths
(i.e. the bases of the leaves do not wrap around the stem to form a sheath).[3]

Species
Species accepted by the Kew Botanical Garden[1]
1. Halophila australis - southern Australia
2. Halophila baillonis - Caribbean, N South America
3. Halophila beccarii - S + E + SE Asia
4. Halophila capricorni - New Caledonia, islands in Coral Sea

5. Halophila decipiens - shores of Indian + Pacific; Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico

6. Halophila engelmannii - Mexico, Costa Rica, Bahamas, Caymans, Cuba, USA (PR,
FL, LA, TX)
7. Halophila gaudichaudii - Indian Ocean, western Pacific
8. Halophila hawaiiana - Hawaii
9. Halophila japonica - Japan
10. Halophila major - Japan, Taiwan, SE Asia, Caroline Is
11. Halophila mikii - Japan
12. Halophila minor - Indian Ocean, western Pacific
13. Halophila nipponica - Korea, Japan
14. Halophila okinawensis - Nansei-shoto
15. Halophila ovalis - Red Sea, Indian Ocean, western Pacific
16. Halophila spinulosa - SE Asia, N Australia, New Guinea
17. Halophila stipulacea - Red Sea, Indian Ocean
18. Halophila sulawesii - Sulawesi
19. Halophila tricostata - Queensland

References
1.
Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families
Louis-Marie Aubert du Petit-Thouars 1806. Genera Nova Madagascariensia 2
1.

Halophila engelmannii star grass Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation

Commission. Retrieved 2012-01-28.

USDA plants profile for Halophila [1]

Western Australia Seagrass web page for Halophila [2]

External links

Wikispecies has information related to: Halophila

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Halophila.

"Halophila". FloraBase. Department of Environment and Conservation, Government

of Western Australia.

Thalassia (genus)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Thalassia

Thalassia hemprichii[1]

Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Monocots
Order:
Alismatales
Family:
Hydrocharitaceae
Subfamily: Hydrilloideae
Thalassia
Genus:
Banks ex
K.D.Knig[2]

Type species
Thalassia testudinum
Banks ex K.D.Knig[3]

Synonyms[4]
Schizotheca Ehrenb.

Posidonia
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For other uses, see Posidonia (disambiguation).
Posidonia

Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Monocots
Order:
Alismatales
Posidoniaceae
Family:
Hutch.[1]

Genus:

Posidonia
K.D.Koenig

Species
See text.

Posidonia distribution range

Posidonia is a genus of flowering plants. It contains two to nine species of marine plants
("seagrass"), found in the seas of the Mediterranean and around the south coast of Australia.
The APG system (1998) and APG II system (2003) accept this genus as constituting the sole
genus in the family Posidoniaceae, which it places in the order Alismatales, in the clade
monocots. The AP-Website concludes that the three families Cymodoceaceae, Posidoniaceae
and Ruppiaceae form a monophyletic group. Earlier systems classified this genus in the
family Potamogetonaceae or in the family Posidoniaceae but belonging to order Zosterales.

Species
This is a list of species that are nominally contained by the genus:[2]

Posidonia angustifolia Cambridge and Kuo[3]

Posidonia australis Hook.f. South coast of Australia.

Posidonia coriacea Cambridge and Kuo

Posidonia denhartogii Kuo and Cambridge[4]

Posidonia kirkmanii Kuo and Cambridge

Posidonia oceanica (L.) Delile - This plant is endemic to the Mediterranean Sea,
where it forms undersea meadows.

Posidonia ostenfeldii den Hartog[5]

Posidonia robertsoniae Kuo and Cambridge

Posidonia sinuosa Cambridge and Kuo

The species described by Linnaeus, Posidonia oceanica, is found in the Mediterranean; the
rest are located around the southern coast of Australia. Some species are endemic seagrasses
of Western Australia, all the Australian species are found in that region's diverse habitats. This
arrangement was divided into two complexes: the Posidonia australis and Posidonia
ostenfeldii groups.[6] Some species descriptions may only be regional characteristics, and may
need further revision.[2][7]
In 2006 a huge clonal colony of P. oceanica was discovered south of the island of Ibiza. At
8 km across and possibly up to 100,000 years of age, it may be one of the largest and oldest
clonal colonies on Earth.[8]

References
1.
Angiosperm Phylogeny Group (2009). "An update of the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group
classification for the orders and families of flowering plants: APG III" (PDF). Botanical
Journal of the Linnean Society 161 (2): 105121. doi:10.1111/j.1095-8339.2009.00996.x.
Retrieved 2013-06-26.
Mike van Keulen. "The genus Posidonia Knig (nom. cons.) (Posidoniaceae).".
Murdoch University.
Cambridge, M.L. and Kuo, J. (1979) Two new species of seagrass from Australia,
Posidonia sinuosa and Posidonia angustifolia (Posidoniaceae). Aquat. Bot. 6, 307-328 f.
Keulen

 Kuo, J. and Cambridge, M.L. (1984) A taxonomic study of the Posidonia ostenfeldii
complex (Posidoniaceae) with descriptions of four new Australian seagrasses. Aquat. Bot. 20,
267-95. f. Keulen
den Hartog, C. (1970) Seagrasses of the World. Verh. Kon. Ned. Akad. Wetens. Afd.
Naturk. Ser. 2 59:139 f. Keulen
Kuo, J. and McComb, A.J. (1989) In: "Biology of Seagrasses. A treatise on the
biology of seagrasses with special reference to the Australian region." (Eds. A.W.D. Larkum,
A.J. McComb, S.A. Shepherd) (Aquatic Plant Studies 2) (Elsevier, Amsteredam). p. 6-73 f.
Keulen
Campey, M.L.; Waycott M.; Kendrick G.A. (January 2000). "Re-evaluating species
boundaries among members of the Posidonia ostenfeldii species complex (Posidoniaceae) morphological and genetic variation". Aquatic Botany 66 (1): pp. 4156(16) Research
article. doi:10.1016/S0304-3770(99)00015-7. [dead link]
Ibiza Spotlight (28 May 2006). "Ibiza's Monster Marine Plant". Retrieved 2014-08-13.

Amphibolis
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
sea nymph
or wire weed

Amphibolis antarctica[1]

Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked
Angiosperms
):
(unranked
Monocots
):
Order:
Alismatales
Family: Cymodoceaceae

Amphibolis
Genus:

(Labillardire) Sonder
& Ascherson ex
Ascherson

Synonyms[2]

Graumuellera Rchb.

Pectinella J.M.Black

Amphibolis is a genus in the family Cymodoceaceae. It includes two species of sea grass
endemic to the western and southern coast of Australia, Amphibolis antarctica and
Amphibolis griffithii, commonly known as sea nymph or wire weed.
The seeds produce an anchoring comb of bristles while they mature on the female plant,
giving the seedling a purchase when it arrives at a new site.
A type of seagrass, the plants of this genus forms meadows on calcareous sands. These
meadows, and their consequent detritus, become an important source of food and shelter for a
number of marine species. The interweaving roots and leaves consolidate the substrate of the
ocean floor, protecting it from erosion by currents and wave action.[citation needed]

Species
There are two species:[2]
1. Amphibolis antarctica (Labill.) Asch. - SA Tas Vic WA
2. Amphibolis griffithii (J.M.Black) Hartog - SA WA

References
1.
1859 illustration from Linnean Society of London - Transactions of the Linnean Society
of London v22
1.

Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families

Mike van Keulen (2005-10-25). "Amphibolis". Western Australian Seagrass. Murdoch

University. Retrieved 2007-12-16.

"Amphibolis". FloraBase. Department of Environment and Conservation,

Government of Western Australia.

Guiry, M.D.; Guiry, G.M. (2008). "Amphibolis". AlgaeBase. World-wide electronic

publication, National University of Ireland, Galway. Retrieved 2009-02-21.

Cymodocea
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Cymodocea

C. nodosa off the coast of Spain

Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Monocots
Order:
Alismatales
Family:
Cymodoceaceae
Cymodocea
Genus:
K.D.Koenig

Synonyms[1]

Phucagrostis Cavolini,
1792, rejected name, not
Willd. 1806

Phucagrostis Willd.
1806 illegitimate homonym
not Cavolini 1792

Cymodocea is a genus in the family Cymodoceaceae described as a genus in 1805.[2][3] It

includes four species of sea grass distributed in warm oceans.

Contents

1 Habitat

2 Population

3 Location

4 Species

5 References

Habitat
Cymodocea can be found in clear water and in the high intertidal areas. It is a hardy species
and it is adaptable to marginal conditions. Just like other intertidal species, it can commonly
be confused with other species of its kind. This species can not handle full exposure at low
tide and dry conditions.

Population
Cymodocea is not under any threat to become an endangered species, and it is a widespread
species in the locations that it is found. The only threats that can be recorded are coastal
development and other anthropogenic activity.

Location
Cymodocea is native to the following countries:[1]

Australia

China

Egypt

India

Indonesia

Japan

Kenya

Madagascar

Malaysia

Marshall Islands

Mayotte

Micronesia

Federated States of: Mozambique; New Caledonia; Palau; Papua New Guinea;
Philippines; Saudi Arabia; Seychelles; Singapore; Tanzania,

United Republic of: Thailand; United States Minor Outlying Islands; Vanuatu; Yemen

Species
accepted species[1]
1. Cymodocea angustata Ostenf. - northwestern Australia
2. Cymodocea nodosa (Ucria) Asch. - Mediterranean from Portugal to Israel; coast of NW
Africa as far south as Senegal; Canary Islands
3. Cymodocea rotundata Asch. & Schweinf. - shores of Indian Ocean, Red Sea, South
China Sea, Pacific Ocean
4. Cymodocea serrulata (R.Br.) Asch. & Magnus - - shores of Indian Ocean, Red Sea, South
China Sea, Pacific Ocean

References
1.
Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families
Koenig, Karl Dietrich Eberhard. 1805. Annals of Botany 2: 96
Tropicos, Cymodocea K.D. Koenig

Halodule
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Halodule

Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Monocots
Order:
Alismatales
Family:
Cymodoceaceae
Halodule
Genus:
Endl.

Synonyms[1]
Diplanthera Thouars 1806 not
Gleditsch 1764 (Acanthaceae) nor
Banks & Sol. ex R. Br. 1810 (syn of
Deplanchea in Bignoniaceae) nor
Schrank 1819 (Acanthaceae) nor
Raf. 1833 (syn of Platanthera in
Orchidaceae)

Halodule is a genus of plants in the family Cymodoceaceae described as a genus in 1841.[2][3]

It is widespread on tropical and semi-tropical ocean shores of all continents except Europe
and Antarctica.[1][4][5][6][7]

Species
Hybridization has been reported in the Pacific between H. pinifolia and H. uninervis.[8]
There are six recognised species:[1]
1. Halodule bermudensis - Bermuda
2. Halodule ciliata - Panama
3. Halodule emarginata - SE Brazil
4. Halodule pinifolia - India, Sri Lanka, Southeast Asia, Hainan, Taiwan, Ryukyu
Islands, New Guinea, Queensland, Fiji, New Caledonia, Tonga, Caroline Islands
5. Halodule uninervis - shores of Indian + Pacific Oceans, Red Sea, Persian Gulf, Bay of
Bengal, Papuasia, Queensland, Micronesia
6. Halodule wrightii - Atlantic Ocean shores including Caribbean + Gulf of Mexico:
Africa (Senegal, Mauritania, Angola), West Indies, South America (Venezuela,
Brazil), Mexico, Central America, USA (TX LA MS AL FL NC MD)

References
1.
Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families
Endlicher, Stephan Friedrich Ladislaus. 1841. Genera plantarum secundum ordines
naturales disposita Supplementum 1(2)13681369 in Latin
Tropicos, Halodule Endl.
Davidse, G., M. Sousa Snchez & A.O. Chater. 1994. Alismataceae a Cyperaceae. 6:
ixvi, 1543. In G. Davidse, M. Sousa Snchez & A.O. Chater (eds.) Flora Mesoamericana.
Universidad Nacional Autnoma de Mxico, Mxico, D.F..
Schatz, G. E., S. Andriambololonera, Andrianarivelo, M. W. Callmander, Faranirina,
P. P. Lowry, P. B. Phillipson, Rabarimanarivo, J. I. Raharilala, Rajaonary, Rakotonirina, R. H.

Ramananjanahary, B. Ramandimbisoa, A. Randrianasolo, N. Ravololomanana, Z.S. Rogers,

C.M. Taylor & G. A. Wahlert. 2011. Catalogue of the Vascular Plants of Madagascar.
Monographs in systematic botany from the Missouri Botanical Garden
Flora of North America Vol. 22 Halodule Endlicher, Gen. Pl., Suppl. 1(2): 1368.
1841.
Flora of China Vol. 23 Page 119 er yao zao shu Halodule Endlicher, Gen.
Pl. 1368. 1841.
1

Ito, Y. and Nr. Tanaka (2011) Hybridisation in a tropical seagrass genus, Halodule
(Cymodoceaceae), inferred from plastid and nuclear DNA phylogenies. Telopea 13:
219-231

External links

Jepson Manual Treatment

USDA Plants Profile

Flora of North America Treatment

Plant Life In Water - Aquatic Botanist Yu Ito's Home Page

Syringodium
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Syringodium

S. isoetifolium and Acropora sp.

Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Monocots
Order:
Alismatales
Family:
Cymodoceaceae
Syringodium
Genus:
Ktz.[1]

Type species

Syringodium filiforme[1]
Ktz.

Synonyms[2]
Phycoschoenus (Asch.) Nakai
Syringodium is a genus in the family Cymodoceaceae described as a genus in 1860.[3][4] It is
found along shorelines of tropical and subtropical marine environments (Indian and Pacific
Oceans, Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico).[2]

Species
There are two recognised species[2]
1. Syringodium filiforme Ktz. - shores of Gulf of Mexico (TX LA MS FL, Tamaulipas,
Veracruz, Tabasco, Yucatn Peninsula), and Caribbean (Bahamas, Bermuda, Cayman
Islands, Greater + Lesser Antilles, Central America, Venezuela, Colombia)
2. Syringodium isoetifolium - Indian + western Pacific shores including Red Sea, Persian
Gulf, South China Sea: Africa (Egypt to Mozambique, Madagascar, Socotra,
Seychelles, Mauritius, Runion, Maldives, Andaman & Nicobar, Arabian Peninsula,
Indian Subcontinent, Southeast Asia, southern China, Papuasia, northern Australia,
Papuasia, Micronesia

References
1.
In: Algae Marinae Exsiccatae 9: no. 426. 1860. "Name - Syringodium Ktz.". Tropicos.
Saint Louis, Missouri: Missouri Botanical Garden. Retrieved February 16, 2010. Type
Specimens: Syringodium filiforme
Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families
Ktzing, Friedrich Traugott. 1860. Algae Marinae Exsiccatae 9: 426
1.

Tropicos, Syringodium Ktz

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Thalassodendron

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Thalassodendron

Thalassodendron ciliatum[1]

Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Monocots
Order:
Alismatales
Family:
Cymodoceaceae
Thalassodendron
Genus:
Hartog

Thalassodendron is a genus of seagrass in the family Cymodoceaceae described as a genus

in 1970.[2][3] It grows along the shores of the Indian Ocean and the western Pacific Ocean.

Species
1. Thalassodendron ciliatum - Islands of the Indian Ocean; shores of Africa, Asia,
Australia, Micronesia
2. Thalassodendron leptocaule - Mozambique, KwaZulu-Natal
3. Thalassodendron pachyrhizum - Western Australia

References
1.
1900 illustration from Symbolae physicae seu Icones Adhuc Inditeae : coroprum
naturalium novorum aut minus cognitorum Plate 6 by Hemprich F.G. & Ehrenberg C.G.
Hartog, Cornelis den. 1970. Verhandelingen der Koninklijke Nederlandsche
Akademie van Wetenschappen. Afdeeling Natuurkunde; Tweede Sectie 59(1): 186

 Tropicos, Thalassodendron Hartog

1.

This grass-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

Thalassodendron
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Thalassodendron

Thalassodendron ciliatum[1]

Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Monocots
Order:
Alismatales
Family:
Cymodoceaceae
Thalassodendron
Genus:
Hartog

Thalassodendron is a genus of seagrass in the family Cymodoceaceae described as a genus

in 1970.[2][3] It grows along the shores of the Indian Ocean and the western Pacific Ocean.

Species
1. Thalassodendron ciliatum - Islands of the Indian Ocean; shores of Africa, Asia,
Australia, Micronesia
2. Thalassodendron leptocaule - Mozambique, KwaZulu-Natal
3. Thalassodendron pachyrhizum - Western Australia

References
1.
1900 illustration from Symbolae physicae seu Icones Adhuc Inditeae : coroprum
naturalium novorum aut minus cognitorum Plate 6 by Hemprich F.G. & Ehrenberg C.G.
Hartog, Cornelis den. 1970. Verhandelingen der Koninklijke Nederlandsche
Akademie van Wetenschappen. Afdeeling Natuurkunde; Tweede Sectie 59(1): 186
1.

Tropicos, Thalassodendron Hartog

This grass-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.