Category
page 1Seagrasses
marine flowering plant
Seagrasses are the only flowering plants which grow in marine environments. There are about 60 species of fully marine seagrasses which belong to four families (Posidoniaceae, Zosteraceae, Hydrocharitaceae and Cymodoceaceae), all in the order Alismatales (in the clade of monocotyledons). Seagrasses evolved from terrestrial plants which recolonised the ocean 70 to 100 million years ago.

Thalassia
genus of plants in the family Hydrocharitaceae
Enhalus acoroides
Enhalus is a monotypic genus of marine flowering plants. The sole species is Enhalus acoroides. Enhalus is a large seagrass native to coastal waters of the tropical Indian and Western Pacific Oceans. It is the only species of seagrass that does aerial surface pollination in which the pollen and the styles remain dry. 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. Enhalus acoroides is considered a slow-growing, "climax" species.

Thalassia testudinum
species of marine seagrass

seagrass meadow
underwater ecosystem

Thalassia hemprichii
species of plant
Halophila australis
species of plant
World Seagrass Day
annual day promoting seagrass conservation