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: London Bur-marigold bears small, yellow flower heads made up mostly of disc florets, often lacking ray florets or showing only short, inconspicuous ones. The flower heads are grouped at the top of branched stems and bloom from late summer into autumn. Though not showy, the flowers are rich in nectar... Fruit: The fruit is a barbed achene, dark in colour and topped with two to four stiff awns or "bristles." These achenes readily attach to animal fur, clothing, or feathers, aiding in the plant’s dispersal—a classic example of epizoochory. This clinging mechanism gives the plant its name "bur-marigold.". Leaves: The leaves of Bidens connata are opposite, lanceolate to ovate in shape, and often have toothed edges. Lower leaves may be slightly stalked and broader, while upper leaves are narrower and may clasp the stem. They have a slightly rough texture and are mid- to dark green, contributing to the plant's ...

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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: Triangular Club-rush produces compact, brownish inflorescences made up of spikelets clustered in a loose, branched arrangement near the tip of the stem. Each spikelet contains small, scale-covered florets, and flowering typically occurs between June and August. These inflorescences are often subtend... Fruit: Following pollination, the plant develops small, nut-like achenes which are brown, ovoid, and slightly ridged. These fruits are adapted for dispersal by water, enabling the species to colonise suitable wetland environments. As a rhizomatous perennial, however, Schoenoplectus triqueter primarily spre... Leaves: True leaves are scarce on Triangular Club-rush; most are reduced to sheaths at the base of the stem. The most striking feature is the sharply three-angled, rigid stem, which is smooth and dark green, sometimes with reddish tinges. This triangular cross-section is a key ID feature and gives the plant...

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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: Small Cord-grass produces dense, upright flower spikes from July to September. The flowers are small, yellow-green, and inconspicuous, arranged in narrow, spike-like panicles that are held stiffly on tall stems. As a grass, its flowers lack petals and are wind-pollinated. Fruit: The fruit consists of small, dry grains (caryopses) typical of grasses. These seeds are rarely viable in Spartina maritima populations in the UK, and the species often spreads vegetatively by underground rhizomes rather than seed. Leaves: Leaves are narrow, tough, and bluish-green with a wiry, leathery feel. They grow alternately along upright stems and are often rolled inwards. Leaf blades can be up to 30 cm long and are well adapted to saline conditions, helping the plant conserve water and tolerate salt spray.

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Smooth Cord-grass

Flower: Smooth Cord-grass produces tall, slender flower spikes that bloom from late spring through summer. The flowers are small and arranged densely along the spikes, often greenish-yellow in colour. Being wind-pollinated, the flowers lack showy petals but release large amounts of pollen into the air, thri... Fruit: Following flowering, Smooth Cord-grass develops small seeds enclosed in tough husks that mature by late summer or early autumn. The seeds are adapted for dispersal by water, floating on tides to colonize new areas along coastal mudflats and salt marshes. This ability helps the grass spread rapidly a... Leaves: The leaves of Smooth Cord-grass are long, narrow, and flat with a smooth, glossy surface. They are typically bright green and can grow over a meter tall, forming dense stands. The sturdy leaves help the plant withstand strong tidal currents and salty conditions common to its coastal habitat.

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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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