Halophila spinulosa (R.Br.) Asch. APNI* Description: Submerged dioecious marine perennial; rhizomes 1–1.5 mm diam.; scales elliptic or ovate, 3–6 mm long; apex acute or obtuse. Lateral shoots 20–120 cm long, occasionally branched, with leaf scars from shed leaves.
Leaves glabrous, sessile; lamina oblong to linear, 5–20 mm long, 1.5–3.5 mm wide, with 4 or 5 pairs of cross-veins; margins serrulate; apex rounded; base folded upward on one side.
Flowers unisexual, solitary. Male flowers shortly pedicellate; perianth segments elliptic, 3–4 mm long; apex obtuse; margins reflexed; anthers linear-oblong, 2.5–3 mm long. Female flowers with hypanthium 5–6 mm long; perianth segments 0.1 mm long; ovary ovoid, 1–2 mm diam.; styles 3–5, 10–12 mm long.
Fruit ovoid, 4–6 mm diam. Seeds 20–30, globose, 0.75 mm diam.; testa reticulate.
Flowering: Across Australia, flowers March, October–December; fruits Oct.
Distribution and occurrence: In N.S.W, recorded once from Tweed Heads region. Widely distributed in northern Australia, from Carnarvon on the W coast to Morton Bay on the E coast. In N.S.W., recorded from an estuarine inlet in silty sand, seagrass bed, with H. ovalis and Halodule sp. In other states, found down to c. 45 m on coral platforms, coral sand to muddy sand substrate. In shallow water with other seagrasses; in deep water often with Halophila ovalis.
NSW subdivisions: NC
Other Australian states: Qld N.T. W.A.
Text by Adapted from Kuo by Kerry Gibbons 30 May 2023.
Taxon concept: J. Kuo, Flora of Australia Online [accessed 30 May 2023]; Rye, B.L. in Wheeler, J.R. (ed.) (1992), Hydrocharitaceae. Flora of the Kimberley Region: 967
APNI* Provides a link to the Australian Plant Name Index (hosted by the Australian National Botanic Gardens) for comprehensive bibliographic data
***The AVH map option provides a detailed interactive Australia wide distribution map drawn from collections held by all major Australian herbaria participating in the Australian Virtual Herbarium project.
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