Seagrass

Seagrass (or sea-grass in British English) is an artificial term that refers to flowering plants from four plant families (Posidoniaceae, Zosteraceae, Hydrocharitaceae and Cymodoceaceae) that grow in the marine saline environment.

They are called seagrasses only because most species superficially resemble terrestrial grasses of the Family Poaceae. Because these plants must photosynthesize, they are limited to growing submerged in the photic zone, and most occur in shallow, tropical, coastal waters anchored in sand or mud bottom. They undergo pollination while submerged and complete their entire life cycle underwater.

Herbivores that consume seagrass include dugong, some juvenile fish, and crabs. Some fishes lay eggs on the blades.

Genera of sea grasses

• Family Posidoniaceae
  • Posidonia

• Family Zosteraceae
  • Zostera
  • Heterozostera
  • Phyllospadix

• Family Hydrocharitaceae (Frogbit family)
  • Enhalus
  • Halophila
  • Thalassia

• Family Cymodoceaceae
  • Amphibolis
  • Cymodocea
  • Halodule
  • Syringodium
  • Thalassodendron

See also

• Alismatales

References

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

External link

• Taxonomy of seagrasses