This is an unusual plant in that it is a marine perennial mostly living submerged in sea water and only exposed at high tide. On "dry" land it has the flat and deflated look of beached seaweed and so is best seen in shallow rock pools like the specimens above. Once found, the grass-like leafy structures are easy to see but the reproductive parts much less so. The flower is encased in a sheath and the one above (right) is much better exposed than most we saw on this WFS trip.

Naturally it is only found on coasts and there are many sites on the south and east coasts of England with the greatest concentration in the northern regions of north west Scotland and the islands.

Lindisfarne Near St Cuthbert's Island 15th July 2006

Added on 8th November 2006, updated 26th February 2012