Genus of the Week
Week of September 28 - October 4
This page has been created for people who want to learn more about plants, especially in the
context of their taxonomy (Latin names, etc.). This is by no means an exhaustive list of
all available Web resources for a particular genus.
If you like this page, you should also visit the Land of the Glandular Trichomes
, a microscopic look at plants in the Lamiaceae family.
This week's genus:
Zostera - Eel Grass
Subclass: Monocotyledoneae
Superorder: Alismatidae
Order: Najadales
Family: Zosteraceae
Number of Species: 12
Root: From the Greek "zoster", meaning girdle, apparently a reference to the long leaf
blades.
Plants in the genus Zostera are all marine species, and live their entire lives submerged
in salt water. Eel grass is an important component of marine ecosystems, and several species
of both plants and animals depend on it for survival.
Here are a few links to images and descriptions of different Zostera species:
- Check out the August 1997 issue of the American Journal of Botany. Not only is
Z. marina on the cover, the
pollination of that species' flowers is also the subject of one of the articles.
- The Marine Biological Laboratory (Woods Hole, MA) has images of
Perophora growing on Zostera. Perophora is a genus of colonial
Ascidians (chordate marine organisms).
- The Royal British Colombia Museum has information and an image of
Z. marina, part of their Safari '94 exploration of Barkley Sound, B.C. If you have
time (or a fast connection), download and view the Quicktime movie of computerized eelgrass
swaying with the current!.
- Z. marina is one of the Bay Grasses found in Maryland Bay and surrounding
Tributaries. Click here for a
photo.
- Read about how Eelgrass plays an
important role in the ecosystem of Netarts Bay, located on the coast of Oregon.
- Read about Eelgrass habitats
in the Gulf of Maine, and if you are interested you can download GIS data that maps out the
location of Z. marina in this area. Published by The Gulf of Maine Council on the Marine
Environment.
- Though their site is down as I create this page, the Botany Department at the
University of Hawaii seems to have an
extensive amount of information about Zostera and other seagrasses.
References:
- Heywood, V.H., ed. Flowering Plants of the World. New York, Oxford University Press: 1993.
 | If you have comments on "Genus of the Week" or suggestions for a future genus,
Click on the envelope and send me some email!
|
Current Genus of the Week
Jenn's Home Page
Kesseli Lab