© Michael Hawkes (Photo ID #14784)
General:
Perennial, aquatic herb from slender rhizomes; stems annual, branching, 100-300 cm long, arising from the rhizome nodes.
Leaves:
Sheaths split to the base; stem leaves alternate, 1-1.5 mm wide, 3-veined.
Flowers:
Inflorescence a spike of unstalked male and female flowers alternating in 2 rows, 3-6 (8) cm long; female flowers with ovaries tapering to short styles; male flowers with unstalked anthers.
Fruits:
Nutlets, egg-shaped, the walls translucent, about 2 mm long, smooth, the tips about 3/4 as long as the fruit base.
If more than one illustration is available for a species (e.g., separate illustrations were provided for two subspecies) then links to the separate images will be provided below. Note that individual subspecies or varietal illustrations are not always available.
Illustration Source: The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia
Synonyms and Alternate Names:
Zostera americana Den Hartog