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Ruppia cirrhosa
Also called Species code: Rc, Spiral tasselweed, Coiled Pondweed, Western Ditchgrass, Widgeongrass, Ditch Grass, Spiral Widgeon Grass
Ruppia cirrhosa (syn. Ruppia spiralis), spiral tasselweed, is a species of aquatic plant in the pondweed family, with a cosmopolitan distribution, that grows in brackish to saline waters. It has long, thin leaves that often form a dense layer under the surfaces of coastal ditches, lakes and lagoons. The flowers are tiny and petal-less, and produce pollen that is dispersed by the wind or floating on the water. The name refers to its ability to produce a long, coiled stalk to the fruiting inflorescence, which is not often seen.
Most sources suggest that spiral tasselweed has a cosmopolitan, circumpolar distribution, but there is some debate about this. Generally, it is found only in brackish to saline coastal locations, but North American plants (sometimes referred to as R. occidentalis) grow in freshwater inland lakes.
Ruppia bicarpa · Ruppia drepanensis · Widgeongrass · Large-fruit seatassel · Species code: Rp · Species code: Rt · Widgeonweed
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Ruppia cirrhosa by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts are shared under the same licence.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
