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| − | {{About|saltwater eelgrasses|freshwater eelgrasses|Vallisneria}}
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| − | {{italic title}}
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| | {{automatic taxobox | | {{automatic taxobox |
| | |name= ''Zostera'' (marine eelgrasses) | | |name= ''Zostera'' (marine eelgrasses) |
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| | | range_map_caption = Global distribution map of ''Zostera''. Green indicates presence. | | | range_map_caption = Global distribution map of ''Zostera''. Green indicates presence. |
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| − | [[Image:Zostera.jpg|thumb|right|''Zostera'' sp in Mussel Ridge Channel, Birch Island, [[Maine]]]]
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| − | '''''Zostera''''' is a small [[genus]] of widely distributed [[seagrass]]es, commonly called '''marine eelgrass''' or simply '''eelgrass'''. The genus ''Zostera'' contains 15 species.
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| − | ==Ecology==
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| − | ''[[Zostera marina]]'' is found on sandy substrates or in [[estuary|estuaries]], usually submerged or partially floating. Most ''Zostera'' are [[perennial]]. They have long, bright green, ribbon-like leaves, the width of which are about {{convert|1|cm|1}}. Short stems grow up from extensive, white branching [[rhizome]]s. The flowers are enclosed in the sheaths of the leaf bases; the fruits are bladdery and can float.
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| − | ''Zostera'' beds are important for sediment deposition, substrate stabilization, as substrate for epiphytic [[algae]] and micro-invertebrates, and as nursery grounds for many species of economically important fish and shellfish. ''Zostera'' often forms beds in [[bay mud]] in the estuarine setting. It is an important food for [[brant goose|brant geese]] and [[wigeon]]s, and even (occasionally) [[caterpillar]]s of the [[grass moth]] ''[[Dolicharthria punctalis]]''.
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| − | The [[slime mold]] ''[[Labyrinthula|Labyrinthula zosterae]]'' can cause the wasting disease of ''Zostera'', with ''Z. marina'' being particularly susceptible, causing a decrease in the populations of the fauna that depend on ''Zostera''.
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| − | ''Zostera'' is able to maintain its [[Turgor pressure|turgor]] at a constant pressure in response to fluctuations in environmental [[osmolarity]]. It achieves this by losing solutes as the tide goes out and gaining solutes as the tide comes in.
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| − | ==Distribution==
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| − | The genus as a whole is widespread throughout seashores of much of the Northern Hemisphere as well as [[Australia]], [[New Zealand]], [[Southeast Asia]] and southern [[Africa]]. The discovery of ''[[Zostera chilensis|Z. chilensis]]'' in 2005 adds an isolated population on the Pacific coast of [[South America]] to the distribution. One species (''[[Zostera noltii|Z. noltii]]'') occurs along the land-locked [[Caspian Sea]].
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| − | ==Uses==
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| − | Eelgrass has been used for food by the [[Seri people|Seri]] tribe of [[Indigenous peoples of the Americas|Native Americans]] on the coast of [[Sonora]], [[Mexico]]. The rhizomes and leaf-bases of eelgrass were eaten fresh or dried into cakes for winter food. It was also used for smoking [[deer]] meat. The [[Seri language]] has many words related to eelgrass and eelgrass-harvesting. The month of April is called ''xnoois ihaat iizax'', literally "the month when the eelgrass seed is mature".<ref name="Felger 1985">{{cite book |last1=Felger |first1=Richard |last2=Moser |first2=Mary B. |author2link=Mary B. Moser|title=People of the Desert and Sea: Ethnobotany of the Seri Indians |location=Tucson |year=1985 |publisher=University of Arizona Press }}</ref>
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| − | ''Zostera'' has also been used as packing material and as stuffing for mattresses and cushions.
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| − | On the [[Denmark|Danish]] island of [[Læsø]] it has been used for thatching roofs. Roofs of eelgrass are said to be heavy, but also much longer-lasting and easier to thatch and maintain than roofs done with more conventional thatching material.
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| − | ''Zostera'' can also be utilized to produce biomass energy using the [[Jean Pain]] method.
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| | ==Species== | | ==Species== |
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| | {{Reflist}} | | {{Reflist}} |
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| − | ==External links==
| + | [[Category:Zosteraceae]] |
| − | {{Wikispecies}}
| + | [[Category:Plants for Keenan to eat]] |
| − | {{Commons category|Zostera}}
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| − | * [http://rbg-web2.rbge.org.uk/cgi-bin/nph-readbtree.pl/feout?FAMILY_XREF=&GENUS_XREF=Zostera&SPECIES_XREF=&TAXON_NAME_XREF=&RANK= Flora Europaea: ''Zostera'']
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| − | * [http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=135358 Flora of North America: ''Zostera'']
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| − | * [http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=3&taxon_id=135358 Flora of China: ''Zostera'' species list]
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| − | * [http://www.ukmarinesac.org.uk/communities/zostera/z4_2.htm Wasting disease of ''Zostera'']
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| − | * [http://www.buzzardsbay.org/eelgrass.htm Historical Changes of Eelgrass in Buzzards Bay, MA (USA)]
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| − | * [http://www.seagrassli.org Long Island's Seagrass conservation website, Seagrass.LI]
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| − | {{Taxonbar|from=Q157371}}
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| − | [[Category:Zostera| ]]
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| − | [[Category:Alismatales genera]]
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| − | [[Category:Biota of the Atlantic Ocean]]
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| − | [[Category:Biota of the Pacific Ocean]]
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| − | [[Category:Biota of the Indian Ocean]]
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| − | [[Category:Biota of the Caspian Sea]]
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| − | [[Category:Salt marsh plants]]
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| − | [[Category:Flora of Europe]]
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| − | [[Category:Flora of Asia]]
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| − | [[Category:Flora of Africa]]
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| − | [[Category:Flora of the United States]]
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| − | [[Category:Flora of Canada]]
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| − | [[Category:Flora of Australia]]
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| − | [[Category:Flora of New Zealand]] | |
| − | [[Category:Flora of Chile]] | |
