About Ruppia maritima L.
Ruppia maritima L. is a thread-thin, grasslike annual or perennial herb. It grows from a rhizome anchored shallowly in wet substrate. It produces a long, narrow inflorescence that is either straight or loosely coiled, tipped with two tiny flowers. This plant often self-pollinates, but its flowers also release pollen that floats away on bubbles to reach other plants. Its fruits are drupelets, which are dispersed in water, as well as inside the digestive systems of fish and waterbirds that eat them. This species also reproduces vegetatively by sprouting new growth from its rhizome to form colonies. It can be found worldwide, most commonly in coastal areas, where it grows in brackish water bodies like marshes. It is a dominant plant in many shoreline regions. It does not grow well in turbid water or low-oxygen substrates.
