Widgeon Grass

Ruppia maritime

Widgeon grass has:

• Straight, thread-like leaves with rounded tips and a sheath at the base.
• Leaves grow alternately along slender, branching stems.
• An extensive root system with branching, creeping rhizomes that lack tubers.

There are two forms of widgeon grass that grow in the Bay:

• An upright, branched form with flowers that stand several feet tall.
• A short, creeping form with leaves at the base of the plant.

Where does widgeon grass grow?

• Widgeon grass tolerates a wide range of salinity, from slightly brackish upper and middle Bay tributaries to the seawater-like mouth of the Bay.
• It has also been found in non-tidal freshwater areas.
• It is most common in shallow areas with a sandy bottom, but can also grow in soft, muddy sediments.
• Strong currents or wave action can damage its slender stems and leaves.

How does widgeon grass reproduce?

Widgeon grass reproduces sexually when:

• Two flowers emerge from a sheath of leaves between late spring and late summer.
• The flowers grow on a stalk that reaches toward the water's surface.
• Pollen floats on the surface of the water until it makes contact with one of the flowers.
• Once fertilized, the flowers produce four black, oval-shaped fruits at the ends of stalks, which grow in clusters of eight.

Asexual reproduction takes place when new stems grow from the plant's root and rhizome system.

Other facts about widgeon grass:

• Widgeon grass and eelgrass are the dominant underwater bay grass species in the lower Bay.
• A valuable food source for waterfowl.
• Can be confused with horned pondweed and sago pondweed. You can distinguish widgeon grass by its leaves, which grow alternately along its branches, and its seeds, which grow on separate stalks.
• Widgeon grass also grows in draining agricultural fields and roadside ditches.