''Posidonia coriacea'' is a species of

seagrass 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 orde ...

that occurs in the southern waters of

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

Description

A species of ''

Posidonia ''Posidonia'' is a genus of flowering plants. It contains nine species of marine plants ("seagrass"), found in the seas of the Mediterranean and around the south coast of Australia. The APG system (1998) and APG II system (2003) accept this gen ...

''. A perennial

rhizomatous In botany and dendrology, a rhizome (; , ) is a modified subterranean plant stem that sends out roots and shoots from its nodes. Rhizomes are also called creeping rootstalks or just rootstalks. Rhizomes develop from axillary buds and grow hori ...

herb that appears as stands in marine habitat. This species is found at depths from 1 to 30 metres on white sands, in areas subject to intense wave action. The leaf blades are 2.5 to 7 millimetres wide, and 1.25 metres long. Two or three leaves, with large bases, appear from each shoot. They are leathery and thickened convexly on the upper and lower surfaces. Between 7 and 11 veins appear on each leaf. The leaf sheath breaks into strips, rather than the fibrous detritus of similar species. The flowering period is primarily during the months of August and September.

Distribution

''Posidonia coriacea'' is recorded at

Shark Bay, Western Australia Shark Bay (Malgana: ''Gathaagudu'', "two waters") is a World Heritage Site in the Gascoyne region of Western Australia. The http://www.environment.gov.au/heritage/places/world/shark-bay area is located approximately north of Perth, on the ...

, around coasts of

Southwest Australia Southwest Australia is a biogeographic region in Western Australia. It includes the Mediterranean-climate area of southwestern Australia, which is home to a diverse and distinctive flora and fauna. The region is also known as the Southwest Aus ...

, and across the

Bight The word is derived from Old English ''byht'' (“bend, angle, corner; bay, bight”). In modern English, bight may refer to: * Bight (geography), recess of a coast, bay, or other curved feature * Bight (knot), a curved section, slack part, or loo ...

South Australia South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories ...

Taxonomy

This species is contained by the ''

Posidoniaceae ''Posidonia'' is a genus of flowering plants. It contains nine species of marine plants ("seagrass"), found in the seas of the Mediterranean and around the south coast of Australia. The APG system (1998) and APG II system (2003) accept this gen ...

'' family, one of eight occurring in southern Australia. The ninth member, ''

Posidonia oceanica ''Posidonia oceanica'', commonly known as Neptune grass or Mediterranean tapeweed, is a seagrass species that is endemic to the Mediterranean Sea. It forms large underwater meadows that are an important part of the ecosystem. The fruit is free f ...

'', is found in the mediterranean sea. Several related species within ''Posidonia'' are described as the ''Posidonia ostenfeldii'' complex.

References

* * * {{Taxonbar, from=Q5410987 coriacea Angiosperms of Western Australia Flora of South Australia Monocots of Australia Plants described in 1984