Zostera marina

Zostera marina is a flowering vascular plant species as one of many kinds of seagrass, with this species known primarily by the English name of eelgrass with seawrack much less used, and refers to the plant after breaking loose from the submerged wetland soil, and drifting free with ocean current and waves to a coast seashore. It is a saline soft-sediment submerged plant native to marine environments on the coastlines of northern latitudes from subtropical to subpolar regions of North America and Eurasia.

Description

A grass like plant that grows in sea water. The leaves are bright green and ribbon like. There are extensive white rhizomes or underground stems. These develop short stems that carry the leaves. The flowers are small and white. They are enclosed in the sheaths of the leaf bracts.

Edible Uses

The leaf bases are crisp and sweet and were frequently used as a feast food by native North American peoples; the leaves can be eaten raw or cooked. The root is chewed for its saccharine juice — crisp and sweet, it was used as a flavouring by native North American peoples, dried for winter food, and the raw rhizomes were often eaten as a feast food. The seed is also edible, though no further details are available.

Traditional Uses

The roots have a sweet sugar taste. The rhizomes, stems and leaf bases can be eaten raw. They are also used to flavour meat dishes.

This uses section is brief — help expand it

Medicinal Uses

The leaves are used in the treatment of dropsy, goitre, and women's illnesses.

Distribution

It is a plant of temperate coasts. It grows in subtropical places. It grows in sand and forms beds just below the low tide mark. It is salt tolerant.

Where It Grows

Alaska, Asia, Britain, Canada, Central America, China, Europe, Indochina, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Myanmar, North Africa, North America, Norway, Russia, Scandinavia, SE Asia, Thailand,

Cultivation

A plant of shallow sea water, it is not really suitable for normal cultivation.

Propagation

Seed is best sown as soon as it is ripe. Division.

Other Uses

The dried leaves and stems are used as a packing material. The plant is frequently used as a manure.

Notes

There are 12 Zostera species. They grow in temperate regions.

Also Known As

Grass-wrack, Sea grass

References (9)

• Alm, T., 2003, On the Uses of Zostera marina, Mainly in Norway. Economic Botany 57(4): 640-645
• Felger, R.S., Ancient Crops for the Twenty first century, in Rickie, G.A., (ed), 1979, New Agricultural Crops, AAAS Selected Symposium 38. Westview Press, Colarado. p 11
• Hedrick, U.P., 1919, (Ed.), Sturtevant's edible plants of the world. p 708
• Menninger, E.A., 1977, Edible Nuts of the World. Horticultural Books. Florida p 112
• Moerman, D. F., 2010, Native American Ethnobotany. Timber Press. p 614

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