Engelmann'S Seagrass

Description

Halophila is the only genus of seagrass lacking basal sheaths on the leaf stems. Like other seagrasses, Halophila engelmannii has rhizomes that run along near the surface of sand or mud, with roots at the nodes to anchor them in place. Each leaf stem grows from a node and has a pair of scales halfway up and another pair at the base of the leaf blades. There are 4 to 8 blades on each stem, each of which is up to 30 millimetres (1.2 in) long and 6 millimetres (0.24 in) wide. Each blade is oval, has 6 to 8 veins and a finely serrated margin.