categoryZGrasses Grasses List 

COMMON SALTMARSH-GRASS

Puccinellia maritima

Grasses Family [Poaceae]

month8jun month8june month8jul month8july

category
category8Grasses		 status
statusZnative		 flower
flower8cream		 type
typeZspiked		 stem
stem8round

21st Sept 2013, Marshside, Southport, Sefton Coast. Photo: © RWD
On the lower saltmarsh more likely to also be occupied by some species of Glasswort. A salt-marsh grass of the wetter salt-marshes.


10th Oct 2015, Marshside, Southport, Sefton Coast. Photo: © RWD
And on slightly drier mid-regions of the marsh where differing species of Glassworts (brighter-green, top left) and other halophytes like Sea-Lavender, Oraches and Annual Sea-blite (the latter of which has turned pink in this photo) might be found.


21st Sept 2013, Marshside, Southport, Sefton Coast. Photo: © RWD
It is common it tidal salt-marshes on either sand or mud and often the dominant species of the upper tidal zone.


21st Sept 2013, Marshside, Southport, Sefton Coast. Photo: © RWD
It can grow to some considerable length, but then it is not usually erect; not with a tide coming in twice a day!


21st Sept 2013, Marshside, Southport, Sefton Coast. Photo: © RWD


21st Sept 2013, Marshside, Southport, Sefton Coast. Photo: © RWD
The leaves are greyish-green and in-rolled, therefore looking rather thin and stiff.


21st Sept 2013, Marshside, Southport, Sefton Coast. Photo: © RWD


21st Sept 2013, Marshside, Southport, Sefton Coast. Photo: © RWD
The leaves have blunt oval ligules and loose sheaths.


23rd July 2016, Green Beach, Ainsdale, Sefton Coast. Photo: © RWD
Recently half-buried in fresh sand by the wind. A short saltmarsh-grass which grows up to 80cm and is often semi-prostrate, as here. It is also half-buried by sand here.


23rd July 2016, Green Beach, Ainsdale, Sefton Coast. Photo: © RWD
A perennial (usually) grass which is greyish-green in colour, growing on wetter saltmarshes.


23rd July 2016, Green Beach, Ainsdale, Sefton Coast. Photo: © RWD

Not to be semantically confused with : Saltmarsh Sedge (Carex salina), Saltmarsh Goosefoot (Chenopodium chenopodioides) nor Saltmarsh Rush (Juncus gerardii) [other species found in saltmarshes with similar names]

Easily mistaken for :

  • Reflexed Saltmarsh-Grass ()(Puccinellia distans) but that has flower spikelets only on the further half of the branches and which are outspread, or turned downwards. Mostly avoids the west of the UK apart from Merseyside, and Lancashire.
  • Borrers's Saltmarsh-Grass (Puccinellia fasciculata) has just one-sided and erect flowering clusters which are rather stiff. Found in drier (upper) saltmarshes. Found mostly in the far corner of SE England.
  • Stiff Saltmarsh-grass (Puccinellia rupestris) usually prostrate again with one-sided clusters.Found only in the South of England south of Manchester, and mostly only East of London or on the South coast near IoW anf Brighton, or around Bristol.

  Puccinellia maritima  ⇐ Global Aspect ⇒ Poaceae  

Distribution
family8Grasses family8Poaceae
 BSBI maps
genus8Puccinellia
Puccinellia
(Saltmarsh-Grasses)

COMMON SALTMARSH-GRASS

Puccinellia maritima

Grasses Family [Poaceae]