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Useful Tropical Plants

Enhalus acoroides

(L.f.) Royle

Hydrocharitaceae

+ Synonyms

Enhalus koenigii Rich.

Enhalus marinus Griff.

Stratiotes acoroides L.f.

Vallisneria sphaerocarpa Blanco

Common Name: Tape Seagrass

Enhalus acoroides
Growing to 1 m long or more, this is the longest seagrass on Singapore's shores. It flowers quite regularly, producing large female flowers on long stalks that develop into a furry fruit.
Photograph by: Ria Tan
Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0
Enhalus acoroides Enhalus acoroides Enhalus acoroides Enhalus acoroides Enhalus acoroides Enhalus acoroides

General Information

Enhalus acoroides is a perennial plant with underground stems (rhizomes), and long strap-like leaves that are 1 - 2cm wide and 30 - 150cm long. This is one of the few species of flowering plants that grow in the ocean, being found mainly in muddy soil along the intertidal zone.
The plant is harvested from the wild for its edible seed and as a fibre plant.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

266
Title
Flora of China
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/
Publisher
Missouri Botanical Garden Press; St. Louis.
Year
1994
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent, comprehensive resource in 25 volumes. In addition to the botanical information the flora also gives basic information on habitat and some uses. An on-line version is also available.

Range

Coasts of E Africa through Arabia, India, China, southeast Asia to Australia and the western Pacific.

Habitat

Submerged in shallow sea water along the coast[
266
Title
Flora of China
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/
Publisher
Missouri Botanical Garden Press; St. Louis.
Year
1994
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent, comprehensive resource in 25 volumes. In addition to the botanical information the flora also gives basic information on habitat and some uses. An on-line version is also available.
]. Usually found growing in muddy soils[
358
Title
Online Guide to Chek Jawa
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.wildsingapore.com/chekjawa/index.html
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Brief fact sheets on some of the plants growing in the Mangrove swamps and along the adjoining shore line.
].

Properties

Edibility Rating *  *
Other Uses Rating *  *
HabitPerennial
Height1.00 m
Self-fertileNo
Cultivation StatusWild

Cultivation Details

A plant of tropical coasts.
Needs to be grown in shallow coastal waters.

Edible Uses

Seed - raw, boiled or roasted[
46
Title
Dictionary of Economic Plants.
Publication
 
Author
Uphof. J. C. Th.
Publisher
Weinheim
Year
1959
ISBN
-
Description
An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.
]. The raw seed tastes like water chestnuts[
358
Title
Online Guide to Chek Jawa
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.wildsingapore.com/chekjawa/index.html
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Brief fact sheets on some of the plants growing in the Mangrove swamps and along the adjoining shore line.
].

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

A fibre obtained from the plants is made into nets[
46
Title
Dictionary of Economic Plants.
Publication
 
Author
Uphof. J. C. Th.
Publisher
Weinheim
Year
1959
ISBN
-
Description
An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.
].

Propagation

Seed - when ripe, the seeds fall off the plant. They are able to float in the sea water, but only for about 5 hours before they start to sink, thus they don't travel far[
358
Title
Online Guide to Chek Jawa
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.wildsingapore.com/chekjawa/index.html
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Brief fact sheets on some of the plants growing in the Mangrove swamps and along the adjoining shore line.
]. The seed germinates almost immediately and the roots develop rapidly in order to anchor the young plant[
358
Title
Online Guide to Chek Jawa
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.wildsingapore.com/chekjawa/index.html
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Brief fact sheets on some of the plants growing in the Mangrove swamps and along the adjoining shore line.
].
Like other seagrasses, this species spreads mostly by vegetative reproduction[
358
Title
Online Guide to Chek Jawa
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.wildsingapore.com/chekjawa/index.html
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Brief fact sheets on some of the plants growing in the Mangrove swamps and along the adjoining shore line.
].
Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2024-12-13. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Enhalus+acoroides>

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