This is a plant of the salt marsh and tends to grow with Plantago maritima (Sea Plantain) with which it can easily be confused. Sea plantain though, has continuous flowering spike with no easily visible separations between the flowering parts and prominent anthers typical of the Plantago genus. Also the flowering heads of P. maritima which flower in late summer rather than late Spring, droop at first.

Triglochin maritima is a purely coastal plant occurring throughout the British Isles but only rarely inland. It is found on all coats including those of the outer islands including Shetland. In spite of the grass like leaves it isn't a grass.

The name of this plant has been subject to a minor change. Until 2010 New Flora of the British Isles by Clive Stace called it Triglochin maritimum but in 2010 the third edition changed this to Triglochin maritima.

I can already feel the outrage of my Latin teacher. "Careless work- see me".

Red Rocks, Wirral, 29th April 2005

Added on December 13th 2005, updated 17th February 2012