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Practical ecological knowledge for the temperate reader. |
Family: Potamogetonaceae (Horned pondweed) [E-flora]
"The long, thin leaves of two related marine species, sea-grass, or surf-grass (Phyllospadix scouleri and P. torreyi) were eaten fresh or dried, or were used to collect herring spawn by the Nuu-chah-nulth, Kwakwaka'wakw and probably other coastal groups of British Columbia (Turner, 1975; Turner and Efrat, 1982; Turner et al., 1983). Some people ate the leaves with the herring spawn, but usually they were discarded. The Makah of Washington were said to eat the rhizomes of P. scouleri raw in the spring (Gunther, 1973), but this information probably refers to Zostera." [Turner&Kuhnlein]
Local Species
"Phyllospadix scouleri is a PERENNIAL growing to 0.1 m (0ft 4in). It is in flower from May to August, and the seeds ripen from Jun to August. The flowers are dioecious (individual flowers are either male or female, but only one sex is to be found on any one plant so both male and female plants must be grown if seed is required)
Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. Suitable pH: acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils and can grow in saline soils.
It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers wet soil and can grow in water." [PFAF]
"General: Perennial, aquatic herb from slender rhizomes; stems annual, usually unbranched, 5-40 cm long, about 2 mm wide." [IFBC-E-flora]
"Leaves: Tufted at the rhizome nodes, flat, 3- (5-) veined, margins entire, (30) 50-150 cm long, 2-4 mm wide." [IFBC-E-flora]
"Flowers: Inflorescence of stalked spikes of male and female flowers on different plants; female spikes usually 1 per stem, 1-sided, 4 (5) cm long, with 9-24 flowers; male spikes 5-6 cm long." [IFBC-E-flora]
"Fruits: Nutlets, 3-4 mm long, base with 2 downward projecting, hornlike lobes." [IFBC-E-flora]
"Habitat / Range Exposed, rocky, intertidal to subtidal coastal shores; common along the coast; N to AK and S to MX. Intertidal and sub-tidal levels on the Pacific coast[60]. Western N. America - Alaska to California." [IFBC-E-flora]
Origin Status: Native [E-flora]
Edible Uses
Propagation
"Seed - we have no information on this species but suggest sowing the seed as soon as it is ripe if this is possible in a greenhouse and perhaps adding some salt to the soil. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts." [PFAF]
Cultivation
"We have very little information on this species and do not know if it is hardy in Britain, though judging by its native range it should succeed outdoors in most parts of the country. The main problem with this plant is that it is likely to require maritime conditions and possibly also periodic inundation in salt water, so it might not be possible to cultivate the plant under normal garden conditions. Plants of Phyllospadix grow attached to rocks, many of which are exposed at low tide. In summary Phyllospadix vegetation protects the rocky substrate from erosion, and by accumulating sand in and between the tussocks, transforms the rocky substrate into sandy beaches or sublittoral sand flats. Rejuvenation of the Phyllospadix vegetation, however, is then no longer possible on the sand-covered rocks. The plants eventually die, exposing the sand-covered rocks to wave action, which results in erosion of the sand, again exposing the rocks[270]." [PFAF]
"General: Perennial, aquatic herb from slender rhizomes; stems annual, usually unbranched, 5-40 cm long, about 2 mm wide." [IFBC-E-flora]
"Leaves: Tufted at the rhizome nodes, flat, 5- (7-) veined, the margins toothed towards the tips, (30) 50-150 cm long, 2-4 mm wide." [IFBC-E-flora]
"Flowers: Inflorescence of 5- to 40-cm long, stalked spikes of male and female flowers on different plants; female spikes usually 1 per stem, 1-sided, 4 (5) cm long, with 5-12 flowers; male spikes 5-6 cm long." [IFBC-E-flora]
"Fruits: Nutlets, 3-4 mm long, the base with 2 downward projecting, hornlike lobes." [IFBC-E-flora]
Notes: Until the work of Phillips (1970), material of this species was included in P. scouleri." [IFBC-E-flora]
"Habitat / Range Sheltered intertidal and subtidal coastal shorelines; frequent along the coast; N to AK and S to OR." [IFBC-E-flora]
Origin Status: Native [E-flora]
Edible Uses
References
"Phyllospadix torreyi is a PERENNIAL growing to 2 m (6ft 7in). The flowers are dioecious (individual flowers are either male or female, but only one sex is to be found on any one plant so both male and female plants must be grown if seed is required)
Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. Suitable pH: acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils and can grow in saline soils.
It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers wet soil and can grow in water." [PFAF]
"General: Perennial, aquatic herb from slender rhizomes; stems annual, usually branched, 40-120 cm long, 0.5-2 mm wide." [IFBC-E-flora]
"Leaves: Tufted at the rhizome nodes, becoming folded or cylindric, 3- (5-) veined, margins entire, (30) 50-150 long, 1-1.5 (2) mm wide." [IFBC-E-flora]
"Flowers: Inflorescence of stalked spikes of male and female flowers on different plants; female spikes 3-7 per stem, 1-sided, 4 (5) cm long; male spikes 5-6 cm long." [IFBC-E-flora]
"Fruits: Nutlets, 3-4 mm long, base with 2 downward projecting, hornlike lobes." [IFBC-E-flora]
Edible Uses
Other Uses
PFAF User Comments
BF, Sun Jun 28 2009
"Mollison, in Permaculture Two, states that seagrass makes good wall insulation. "Safest" is the word he uses (p. 92), but I'm not quite sure what he means by that." [PFAF]
Propagation
"Seed - we have no information on this species but suggest sowing the seed as soon as it is ripe if this is possible in a greenhouse and perhaps adding some salt to the soil. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts." [PFAF]
Cultivation
"We have very little information on this species and do not know if it is hardy in Britain, though judging by its native range it should succeed outdoors in most parts of the country. The main problem with this plant is that it is likely to require maritime conditions and possibly also periodic inundation in salt water, so it might not be possible to cultivate the plant under normal garden conditions." [PFAF]