Seagrasses are not what people usually picture as 'grass' - they are so much more. Seagrasses grow much like our backyard grasses with rhizomes (horizontal underground stem), roots and leaves, although their closest land relative is the water lily. Seagrass leaves come in a variety of shapes and growth forms, including small oval shaped leaves, fern like leaves and strappy blades that grow over 1.5 metres long! Seagrasses can often be confused with algae or 'seaweeds'. Algae do not have a true extensive root system (they have holdfasts), do not have veins that carry vital molecules around the plant, and do not flower or produce fruit.

While walking along the beaches or mangrove parks at low tide, you can often see the upper intertidal reaches of vast seagrass meadows of our coast. Here is a list of some more common species that you'll see within these meadows or washed up along the beach - and watch out for the dugong feeding trails while you are out there.

Have a look at the three seagrasses below and note the identifying features:

Image: DPI	Halophila ovalis Ostenfield Small oval shaped leaves (0.5 - 2cm long) 8 or more mid-veins No hairs on leaf surface High in nitrogen content Dugong preferred food
Image: DPI	Halodule uninervis (Forsk.) Aschers. Narrow and wide leaf blades 1 central longitudinal vein No cross veins Trident leaf tip Usually pale ivory rhizome, with clean black leaf scars along the stem High in nitrogen content Dugong preferred food (especially the narrow form)
Image: DPI	Zostera capricorni Aschers. Narrow and wide leaf blades 5 longitudinal veins Cross veins - forming a mesh across the leaf blade Rounded leaf tip Leaf grows straight from the rhizome ie no shoots Fibrous root system Great nursery grounds for juvenile prawns