common arrowgrass
Triglochin maritima
Arrowgrass is not a true grass; it is a member of the Juncaginaceae family, more closely related to aquatic pondweeds.
- Scientific name
- Triglochin maritima
- Taxonomy
- Plantae › Tracheophyta › Liliopsida › Alismatales › Juncaginaceae › Triglochin
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- stable
- Biome
- wetland
- Habitat
- Salt marshes, brackish coastal meadows, and inland alkaline fens.
- Diet
- Autotrophic (photosynthesis, absorbing nutrients from saline soils).
- Range
- North America, Europe, Northern Asia, North Africa
- Size
- 20 to 100 cm in height
- Lifespan
- Perennial (5-10+ years)
- Active
- diurnal
- Threats
- Wetland destruction, coastal development, and competition from invasive reeds.
- Safe to approach?
- Harmless to touch, but dangerous if ingested. This plant contains cyanogenic glycosides which can release cyanide when chewed. Keep livestock away from dense patches; if accidental ingestion occurs, seek immediate medical or veterinary attention.
Triglochin maritima is a species of flowering plant in the arrowgrass family Juncaginaceae. It is found in brackish marshes, freshwater marshes, wet sandy beaches, fens, damp grassland and bogs. It has a circumboreal distribution, occurring throughout the northern Northern Hemisphere. In the British Isles it is common on the coast, but very rare inland.
Photo: Анна Митрошенкова, CC-BY, via iNaturalist
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