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| Ruppia maritima L. | Species Image Gallery (opens in a new window) |
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| TAXONOMY | |||||||||
| Family: | Ruppiaceae | ||||||||
| Genus: | Ruppia | ||||||||
| Species Synonyms: | Ruppia maritima var. brevirostris
Agardh Ruppia maritima var. exiqua Fern. & Wieg. Ruppia maritima var. intermedia (Thed.) Aschers. & Graebn. Ruppia maritima var. longipes Hagstr. Ruppia maritima var. maritima L. Ruppia maritima var. obligua (Schur) Aschers. & Graebn. Ruppia maritima var. pacifica St. John & Fosberg Ruppia maritima var. rostrata Agardh Ruppia maritima var. subcapitata Fern. & Wieg. Ruppia pectinata Rydb. |
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| Common Names: | widgeongrass beaked ditchgrass |
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| DISTRIBUTION | |||||||||
| Canada: | southwestern British Columbia, southern Alberta – southern Saskatchewan – James Bay – eastern Quebec – Newfoundland – Nova Scotia | ||||||||
| Saskatchewan: | southern Saskatchewan; Seagrams Lake, Fusilier, St. Denis, Deadmoose Lake, Nitenai River Salt Marsh, Mortlach, Old Wives Lake | ||||||||
| Ecoregion: | Moist Mixed Grassland, Aspen Parkland, Boreal Transition, Mid-Boreal Lowland | ||||||||
| HABITAT | |||||||||
| Saskatchewan: | submersed aquatics in quiet saline or alkaline lakes, ponds or sloughs | ||||||||
| Canada: | tidal waters, saline pools, and ditches | ||||||||
| RARITY STATUS | |||||||||
| Provincial
Status According to Harms (2003): |
Threatened |
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| Nature Conservancy Status: | G5 |
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| Saskatchewan
Species at Risk Status: |
None |
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| COSEWIC Status: | None |
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| Ruppia cirrhosa is vulnerable because it is rare or uncommon in Saskatchewan. No immediate threats are known but may occur in the future. This species is likely commonly overlooked because of its aquatic habit and similarities to some of the Potamogeton species. | |||||||||
| SPECIES DESCRIPTION | |||||||||
| Growth Habit: | submersed aquatic herbs, annual or perennial | ||||||||
| Stems: | present, to 50 cm long, < 1 mm wide, thread-like, forking | ||||||||
| Leaves: | alternate, simple, sessile, scattered or slightly tufted, thread-like, submerged, 6 – 11 cm long, 0.2 – 0.5 mm wide; basal sheath not persisting longer than the blade, 5 – 15 mm long, tips rounded or obtuse | ||||||||
| Inflorescence: | spikes axillary, head-like in flower and umbrella-like in fruit, with bract; inflorescence stalk elongating and spiralling after fertilization, coils 0 – 3 | ||||||||
| Flowers: | minute, perfect, bractless; sepals and petals absent; stamens 2, distinct; carpels 4 – 6, distinct, ovary superior, style absent, stigma sessile | ||||||||
| Fruits: | single-seeded, 2 - 3 mm, slightly fleshy, brown to blackish | ||||||||
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