Data provided by the participants of the Consortium of California Herbaria

View additional distribution information on the Jepson eflora

Ruppia maritima is a species of aquatic plant known by the common names beaked tasselweed, widgeongrass, ditch-grass and tassel pondweed. Despite its Latin name, it is not a marine plant; is perhaps best described as a salt-tolerant freshwater species. The generic name Ruppia was dedicated by Linnaeus to the German botanist Heinrich Bernhard Ruppius (1689-1719) and the specific name (maritima) translates to "of the sea". It can be found throughout the world, most often in coastal areas, where it grows in brackish water bodies, such as marshes. It is a dominant plant in a great many shoreline regions. It does not grow well in turbid water or low-oxygen substrates.

Plant type

Perennial herb

Size

2 in Tall

Form

Mounding

Growth rate

Fast

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Color

Green

Flowering season

Spring

Soil description

Prefers loamy or clay soils. Grows poorly in sandy soils.

Plant communities

Coastal Salt Marsh, Freshwater Wetlands, Wetland-Riparian