Common Bulrush

Flower: Common Bulrush, also known as Broadleaf Cattail, is a tall, reed-like plant found in marshes, ponds, and ditches across the UK. Its flowering stem produces two distinct cylindrical spikes: the upper one bears the yellowish male flowers, while the lower and much thicker brown spike holds the female f... Fruit: The female flower head matures into a dense mass of tiny seeds, each attached to fine hairs. In autumn, the brown spike gradually disintegrates, releasing the seeds to the wind like dandelion fluff. This allows the plant to spread widely across wetlands, often forming extensive colonies. Though not ... Leaves: The leaves of Common Bulrush are flat, grey-green, and can grow up to 2 metres tall. They are long and strap-like, arising from the base in a fan-shaped cluster. The leaves have a smooth texture and are somewhat spongy inside. Their strong, fibrous quality made them historically useful for weaving m...

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London Bur-marigold

Flower: The branching stems have 1 to 3 orange-yellow flowerheads. The inner bracts which surrounds the yellow centre of the flower are brownish and oval. The leafy outer bracts are narrowly elliptical and unequal in size. The outer bracts are 2 or 3 times as long as the flowerhead itself. Fruit: Oblong, dark brown or dark purple fruit, not flattened as in the similar looking Trifid Bur-marigold (Bidens tripartita). There are 2 to 4 hooked awns at one end of the fruit. Leaves: The broadly lance-shaped, toothed leaves are usually in opposite pairs going up the stem. Some of the upper leaves are alternate along the stems. Leaf blades measure up to 6 inches (15cm) long and 1.5 inches (4cm) wide. Smooth, green, purple-tinged, erect stems. Annual.

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Buttonweed

Flower: The flowers of Buttonweed are small and button-like, with a distinct yellow hue. They are clustered together, creating a visually striking appearance. The plant's flowering structure adds a touch of vibrancy to its surroundings, forming clusters of these yellow button-like blooms. The overall effect... Fruit: The fruit of Buttonweed is composed of small, rounded seeds. These seeds are typically encapsulated within the mature flower head, contributing to the distinctive button-like appearance. The fruiting structure is modest in size and complements the overall low-growing and spreading nature of the plan... Leaves: The leaves of Buttonweed are green, fleshy, and characterized by distinct lobes. They emit a distinctive odor when crushed. The leaves are arranged densely along the stems, contributing to the plant's low-growing and mat-forming habit. This foliage, with its lobed structure, adds to the overall appe...

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Triangular Club-rush

Flower: Reddish-brown, egg-shaped spikelets within branched clusters. Smaller clusters than those of the similar looking Common Club-rush (Schoenoplectus lacustris). Fruit: The fruit is a brown, 3-sided nutlet. Leaves: Leafless stems. Similar to Common Club-rush (Schoenoplectus lacustris) but has 3-sided stems. Perennial.

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Common Cord-grass

Flower: Common Cord-grass produces inconspicuous, greenish-yellow flower spikes that appear from late spring through summer. These flowers are wind-pollinated and lack showy petals, reflecting their adaptation to coastal and estuarine habitats where insect pollination is limited. Fruit: The plant produces small, grain-like seeds enclosed in spikelets along the flowering stems. These seeds can disperse both by water and wind, allowing Spartina anglica to colonize mudflats and saltmarshes effectively. Leaves: Common Cord-grass has long, flat, sword-shaped leaves that are bright green and grow in dense clumps. The tough, fibrous leaves are well adapted to salty, waterlogged soils and help stabilize coastal sediments.

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Small Cord-grass

Flower: 2 or 3 spikes, shorter than those of the very similar looking Common Cord-grass (Spartina anglica). The flowers turn brown by wintertime. Flowers appear on both sides of the stem. Fruit: The fruit is a caryopsis. Leaves: A perennial species with green or purplish leaves, turning light brown in autumn and winter. The leaves are narrower than those of Common Cord-grass, up to 1cm wide and 40cm long, tapering to a point.

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Smooth Cord-grass

Flower: Yellowish-green flowers, slowly fading to brown later in the year. Spikelets are one-flowered and appear in clusters of 3 to 6 erect narrow spikes. The uppermost spike ends in a long bristle. Fruit: The fruit is a caryopsis which is a kind of dry, one-seeded fruit. Leaves: Long, linear, yellowish-green leaves which are 1.5cm (0.5 inches) broad at their bases, tapering into a point at their ends.

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Common Eelgrass

Flower: Zostera marina produces tiny, ribbon-like flowers arranged in a spadix enclosed within a flattened sheath (spathe) on a flattened flowering stem. The species is monoecious, meaning both male and female flowers appear on the same plant. Flowering typically occurs between May and September. Like other... Fruit: The fruit of Z. marina is a small, greenish-brown, oval seed capsule (utricule) about 2–3 mm long. These fruits are released into the water and may sink nearby or be carried by currents. However, seed germination is relatively infrequent in UK populations. Instead, Z. marina primarily spreads vegeta... Leaves: The leaves of Common Eelgrass are strap-like, flat, and can grow up to 1 metre long and 2–7 mm wide, making them the broadest of the UK Zostera species. They have a rounded tip, smooth margins, and a single distinct mid-vein, and they grow in dense rosettes from rhizomes. These long, waving blades a...

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Narrow-leaved Eelgrass

Flower: Zostera angustifolia produces minute, wind-pollinated (hydrophilous) flowers enclosed within flattened sheathing spathes along a compressed flowering stem. Like other Zostera species, it is monoecious, with both male and female flowers on the same plant. Flowering typically occurs from June to Septe... Fruit: The plant produces small, oval fruits (utricles), about 2–3 mm long, which develop inside the spathes following fertilisation. These sink or are dispersed by water movement and contribute to limited sexual reproduction. However, like most eelgrasses, Z. angustifolia more often spreads vegetatively t... Leaves: Leaves are long, narrow, and ribbon-like, typically 1.5–4 mm wide and up to 30 cm or more in length. They are wider than those of Zostera noltei but narrower and firmer than Zostera marina. Each leaf has a single conspicuous mid-vein and smooth margins, growing in tufts from creeping rhizomes. This ...

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Dwarf Eelgrass

Flower: Zostera noltei produces minute, inconspicuous flowers that are monoecious (both male and female organs on the same plant). The flowers are enclosed within a spathe (a sheath-like bract) on flattened flowering shoots. These structures are usually found submerged or just above the substrate in interti... Fruit: The fruit is a tiny, oval seed (technically a utricle), about 1.5–2 mm long, produced inside the spathes. These seeds are dispersed by water currents, but Zostera noltei spreads more effectively by vegetative means, through creeping rhizomes that form dense, mat-like beds on soft sediments. Seed pro... Leaves: Leaves are narrow, strap-like, and generally 3–15 cm long and 0.5–2.5 mm wide, with a rounded or blunt tip. They are more delicate and shorter than those of the closely related Zostera marina (Common Eelgrass), which has broader and longer leaves. The leaves arise in tufts from rhizomes and often li...

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Common Glasswort

Flower: Common Glasswort produces tiny, inconspicuous flowers that lack petals, clustered tightly in the joints of its succulent stems. Blooming typically from late summer to early autumn, these flowers are wind-pollinated, relying on their exposed coastal habitats rather than showy blooms to reproduce. Fruit: The fruit is a small, single-seeded nutlet enclosed within the fleshy, jointed stem segments. These seeds mature in late autumn and fall into the salty mud or water, where they can germinate in the challenging saline environment. Leaves: Glasswort’s leaves are highly reduced and fused into thick, fleshy, segmented stems that give the plant its distinctive succulent, jointed appearance. This adaptation helps it conserve water in saline and often dry coastal or estuarine habitats.

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Long-spiked Glasswort

Flower: The flowers of Salicornia dolichostachya are tiny, scale-like, and embedded within fleshy green joints of the plant. They appear from August to October, are inconspicuous, and lack petals, relying on wind pollination. The species name dolichostachya means "long spike", referring to its elongated flo... Fruit: It produces small, one-seeded fruits (utricle-type) concealed within the succulent tissue. The seeds are released as the plant decays or breaks apart, helping them spread in tidal zones. Leaves: Leaves are reduced to tiny scales, fused around the stem joints, making the plant appear leafless and jointed. The whole plant is succulent, cylindrical, and green, often turning red or purple in late season.

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Shiny Glasswort

Flower: Shiny Glasswort produces very small, inconspicuous flowers clustered tightly within the fleshy, jointed segments of the stems. Flowers lack petals and are usually solitary or paired, blooming in late summer to early autumn. They rely on wind pollination. Fruit: The fruit is a tiny, single-seeded utricle enclosed within the fleshy stem segments. The seeds are small, black, and smooth, dispersed primarily by water. Leaves: Leaves are highly reduced and scale-like, fused into the succulent, jointed green stems. The plant has a distinctive segmented, fleshy appearance, typical of halophytes adapted to salty marsh environments.

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Yellow Glasswort

Flower: The flowers of Salicornia fragilis, commonly called Yellow Glasswort, are extremely small and inconspicuous, nestled within the joints of its fleshy stems. Blooming typically from July to September, the flowers are greenish-yellow and lack petals, arranged in compact, spike-like inflorescences. Bein... Fruit: The fruit of Yellow Glasswort is a tiny, dry utricle (a small bladder-like fruit), hidden within the stem joints. Each contains a single seed, and when mature, the plant’s outer tissues may disintegrate to help spread the seed in tidal areas. These fruits are not designed for animal dispersal, relyi... Leaves: Yellow Glasswort has no true leaves. Instead, it displays jointed, succulent, leafless stems that serve a similar function. These fleshy, green-to-yellowish stems store water and tolerate high salt levels, a key adaptation to its habitat in saltmarshes and tidal mudflats. The stem segments are swoll...

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Saltmarsh Goosefoot

Flower: Chenopodium chenopodioides has small, greenish, inconspicuous flowers that form in dense, spiky clusters on upper stems and leaf axils. These unshowy blooms appear from July to September and are wind-pollinated, lacking petals. Fruit: The plant produces tiny, single-seeded fruits (utricles) encased in a thin, membranous covering. The seeds are black, smooth, and round, released when the fruit dries and splits. Leaves: Leaves are fleshy, alternate, and variable in shape, often diamond- to lance-shaped, and may appear slightly succulent. They have a somewhat mealy (farinose) texture, especially when young.

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