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Dwarf Eel Grass

Zostera japonica Asch. & Graebn.

Comments

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The name Zostera americana was proposed for some of the collections by Neil Hotchkiss from Pacific County, Washington (C. den Hartog 1970). Because Z. americana resembled a previously published species, it was suggested the name should be placed in synonymy, at least until further study could be undertaken of at least the ecology and genetics of the complex (R. C. Phillips and R. F. Shaw 1976; P. G. Harrison 1976). A proposal that Z. americana was synonymous with Z. noltii was based upon the identical or overlapping ranges of most characteristics (R. C. Phillips and R. F. Shaw 1976). Zostera noltii is native to the Atlantic coasts of Europe and Africa and to the Mediterranean Sea area. Therefore, the suggestion implies that Z. noltii has been introduced into North America. No mode of introduction was discussed, however.

Similarly P. G. Harrison (1976) suggested an introduction of an exotic species, but he suggested Zostera japonica instead. A study of populations of Z. americana from Boundary Bay, south of Vancouver, British Columbia revealed no obvious differences between those plants and individuals of Z. japonica and Z. noltii. A comparison of the British Columbia specimens with illustrations by C. den Hartog (1970) of both Z. japonica and Z. noltii indicated the British Columbia plants resembled more the illustrations of Z. japonica than those of Z. noltii. A discussion of possible modes of introduction noted that a brown alga, Sargassum muticum, was introduced into the North American Pacific coast area with seed oysters. Zostera japonica occurs in areas where the oysters were obtained in Japan, and oysters were packed in Zostera species during shipment. Such shipments were possibly the means by which the species was introduced into North America. Harrison’s explanation is quite plausible, and I am accepting it until further research solves the problem.

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Missouri Botanical Garden, 4344 Shaw Boulevard, St. Louis, MO, 63110 USA
bibliographic citation
Flora of North America Vol. 22 in eFloras.org, Missouri Botanical Garden. Accessed Nov 12, 2008.
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Description

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Herbs, annual, rarely perennial. Rhizomes 0.5--1.5 mm thick; roots 2 at each node. Leaves: sheath open, persistent, 3--5.5 cm, membranous flaps 2; blade to 15 cm ´ 1--1.5 mm, apex obtuse or retuse; veins 3. Generative shoots lateral, mostly unbranched, with 1--5 spathes. Inflorescence: peduncles with adnate portion 20--90 mm, free portion 1.2--3.1 cm; spathes 2--5, sheath 2--4 cm ´ 2--2.5 mm; blade 5--10 cm; spadix lanceolate; staminate flowers 5--7; pistillate flowers 5--8, apex obtuse. Staminate flowers: bracts subtending every flower; pollen sacs 0.5 ´ 0.7 mm. Pistillate flowers: ovary 1.5--2 mm; style 1--2 mm. Fruits ellipsoid, 2.5 mm, beaked.
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cc-by-nc-sa-3.0
copyright
Missouri Botanical Garden, 4344 Shaw Boulevard, St. Louis, MO, 63110 USA
bibliographic citation
Flora of North America Vol. 22 in eFloras.org, Missouri Botanical Garden. Accessed Nov 12, 2008.
source
Flora of North America @ eFloras.org
editor
Flora of North America Editorial Committee
project
eFloras.org
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Habitat & Distribution

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Flowering early fall. Intertidal marine waters; -2--0 m ; introduced; B.C.; Wash.; Asia.
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Missouri Botanical Garden, 4344 Shaw Boulevard, St. Louis, MO, 63110 USA
bibliographic citation
Flora of North America Vol. 22 in eFloras.org, Missouri Botanical Garden. Accessed Nov 12, 2008.
source
Flora of North America @ eFloras.org
editor
Flora of North America Editorial Committee
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eFloras.org
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Synonym

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Zostera americana Hartog
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Missouri Botanical Garden, 4344 Shaw Boulevard, St. Louis, MO, 63110 USA
bibliographic citation
Flora of North America Vol. 22 in eFloras.org, Missouri Botanical Garden. Accessed Nov 12, 2008.
source
Flora of North America @ eFloras.org
editor
Flora of North America Editorial Committee
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eFloras.org
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Zostera japonica

provided by wikipedia EN

Zostera japonica is a species of aquatic plant in the Zosteraceae family.[2] It is referred to by the common names dwarf eelgrass[4] or Japanese eelgrass, and is native to the seacoast of eastern Asia from Russia to Vietnam, and introduced to the western coast of North America. It is found in the intertidal zone and the shallow subtidal, and grows on sandy, muddy and silty substrates.

Distribution and habitat

It is considered native in the Russian Far East (Sakhalin, Kamchatka, Primorye, and the Kuril Islands), Japan, Korea, China, Korea, the Ryukyu Islands, Taiwan and Vietnam. It was first reported as being naturalized in British Columbia and in the US State of Washington,[5][6][7] but is now considered invasive as far south as California. It is believed to have been introduced with a shipment of Japanese oysters some time in the first half of the twentieth century.[8] This seagrass is mainly found in sheltered bays where the seabed is sand, mud or silt. It occurs in the intertidal zone and at depths down to about 3 m (10 ft).[1]

Ecology

Japanese eelgrass in Canada

Japanese eelgrass is a small species and usually grows on the upper edge of seagrass beds, typically on mudflats exposed at low tide. The plants lose many of their leaves in the winter.[1] In Hong Kong, algae grows on the blades of this seagrass and snails in the species Clithon graze on this epiphytic growth. In a research study, where the snails were excluded from certain areas of seagrass bed, the epiphytic load increased and this had a deleterious effect on the total biomass of the seagrass, reducing the amount of photosynthesis and increasing physical damage from waves and currents. In the presence of the snails, the grass blades were kept cleaner, were less likely to break off and their total biomass was increased.[9]

On the west coast of North America, the non-native Japanese eelgrass is now found in the same habitats as the native common eelgrass (Zostera marina), growing beside it and sometimes displacing it. The habitat in which they both occur is used by economically important shellfish. Further research is needed to clarify the roles of the two species in the habitat and whether any management strategies are needed to protect the native species from the invader.[10] One difference between the two is that Z. marina undergoes microbial decomposition more slowly than does Z. japonica so that nutrients are recycled more quickly with the latter, giving alterations in both total productivity and in the structure of the decomposer community.[8]

References

  1. ^ a b c Short, F.T.; Carruthers, T.J.R.; Waycott, M.; Kendrick, G.A.; Fourqurean, J.W.; Callabine, A.; Kenworthy, W.J.; Dennison, W.C. (2010). "Zostera japonica". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2010: e.T173348A6996472. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2010-3.RLTS.T173348A6996472.en. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
  2. ^ a b "Zostera japonica Asch. & Graebn". Plants of the World Online. The Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. n.d. Retrieved September 27, 2020.
  3. ^ The Plant List
  4. ^ USDA, NRCS (n.d.). "Nanozostera japonica". The PLANTS Database (plants.usda.gov). Greensboro, North Carolina: National Plant Data Team. Retrieved 17 July 2015.
  5. ^ Heinrich Gustav Adolf Engler. 1907. Das Pflanzenreich 31(IV. 11): 32. Zostera japonica
  6. ^ Hartog, Cornelis den. 1970. Verhandelingen der Koninklijke Nederlandsche Akademie van Wetenschappen. Afdeeling Natuurkunde, Sectie 2. Amsterdam 59(1): 74.; Sea-Grasses of the World, Zostera americana
  7. ^ Tomlinson, Philip Barry & Posluszny, Usher. 2001. Taxon 50(2): 432, Nanozostera americana and Nanozostera japonica
  8. ^ a b Pederson, Judith (2012). Marine Bioinvasions: Patterns, Processes and Perspectives. Springer Science & Business Media. pp. 46–51. ISBN 978-94-010-0169-4.
  9. ^ Ching Wai Fong; Shing Yip Lee; Wu, Rudolf (2000). "The effects of epiphytic algae and their grazers on the intertidal seagrass Zostera japonica". Aquatic Botany. 67 (4): 251–261. doi:10.1016/S0304-3770(00)00101-7.
  10. ^ "Non-Native Eelgrass: Zostera japonica". Aquaculture. Washington State Department of Ecology. Retrieved 18 March 2016.
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Zostera japonica: Brief Summary

provided by wikipedia EN

Zostera japonica is a species of aquatic plant in the Zosteraceae family. It is referred to by the common names dwarf eelgrass or Japanese eelgrass, and is native to the seacoast of eastern Asia from Russia to Vietnam, and introduced to the western coast of North America. It is found in the intertidal zone and the shallow subtidal, and grows on sandy, muddy and silty substrates.

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