SafePlants

No images found for this plant ID: 8002.

Ensure images are uploaded to the Media Library and tagged with "8002" in the "plant_image_tag" taxonomy.

Safe for Children?

✅ Safe: 0
❓ Neutral: 0
❌ Unsafe: 0

Safe for Dogs?

✅ Safe: 0
❓ Neutral: 0
❌ Unsafe: 0

Safe for Cats?

✅ Safe: 0
❓ Neutral: 0
❌ Unsafe: 0

Safe for Reptiles?

✅ Safe: 0
❓ Neutral: 0
❌ Unsafe: 0

sea-fern grass

Scientific Name: Catapodium marinum

Family: Poaceae

Category: Monocot

Growth:

Duration:

Other Names:

       

Sea Fern-grass (Catapodium marinum)

Sea Fern-grass, scientifically known as Catapodium marinum, is a small grass often found in coastal areas. It's an annual plant that can be easily overlooked due to its size.

Considerations for Pets

  • This is a stiff, low-growing grass that might be found in stony places.

Considerations for Children

  • This is a stiff, low-growing grass that might be found in stony places.

Taxonomy and Nomenclature

  • Scientific Name: Catapodium marinum (L.) C.E. Hubb.
  • Common Name: Sea Fern-grass
  • Family: Poaceae (Grass family)
  • Synonyms:
    • Festuca marina L.
    • Desmazeria marina L.
    • Catapodium loliaceum (syn)
    • Poa loliacea
    • Stiff Sand-grass
  • Taxonomic Rank: Genus Catapodium, Order Poales
  • Subfamily: Pooideae
  • Tribe: Poeae

Distribution and Habitat

  • Native to Europe, north Africa, and temperate Asia.
  • Introduced to Western regions.
  • Found in open, sunny brackish soils that are moderately rich in nutrients.
  • Common habitats include transition zones between salt marsh and dunes, sea dikes, rocky coasts, dry bare places by the sea, rock crevices, grassy banks, cliff-tops, sand dunes, and stabilised shingle.
  • A sighting was recorded 40 miles inland in Wiltshire, UK.

Morphological Characteristics

  • Annual plant.
  • Short, stiff grass.
  • One-sided flower spikes, branched near the base or unbranched.
  • Spikelets in two rows, both angled forward from the axis.
  • Inflorescence sparingly branched or unbranched.

Flowering Period

  • June-July.

Quirky Facts

  • The plant's discovery in Wiltshire, 40 miles inland from the coast, highlights its potential to appear in unexpected locations.

Further Information

  • RHS (Royal Horticultural Society) provides information on Catapodium marinum.
  • Discover Life database contains information on distribution.