Common saltmarsh grass (Puccinellia maritima)

Distribution data supplied by the Ocean Biodiversity Information System (OBIS). To interrogate UK data visit the NBN Atlas.Map Help

Summary

Description

A morphologically variable perennial grass, 3 -80 cm high. May form tall, erect, dense tufts or loose, spreading, prostrate turfs up to 1m in diameter. Leaves greyish green to dark green in colour, tinged with yellow, red or purple and may be stiff, flat, folded or in-rolled with hooded tips. Roots fibrous with stolons spreading but sometimes erect. Inflorescence typically grass-like, spikelets composed of 3-6 (up to 10) flowers on stiff stems 2 -25 cm tall.

Recorded distribution in Britain and Ireland

Common in saltmarsh habitats around the British Isles.

Global distribution

Occurs commonly in suitable habitats along the western coast of Europe, from north Norway and the Baltic Sea to Portugal, and in Iceland, the Faeroes and south Greenland.

Habitat

Common on the sands, muds and loams of littoral saltmarsh up to the mean high water of neap tides but occasionally on soil filled shingle and sea cliffs, or in lochs, saline seeps, and saline drainage ditches.

Depth range

-

Identifying features

  • A minute membranous flap (ligule) present at base of leaf.
  • Leaf sheath rounded, smooth with a free white-pink margin.
  • Leaves with two narrow secondary furrows either side of midrib.
  • Stolons present.
  • Stomatal flaps absent on lower leaf surface.
  • Spikelet with 3-6 (up to 10) flowers with unequal glumes.
  • Lemmas (the lower petal) 2.8 -4.6mm in length.
  • Anthers large, 1.3 -2.5mm in length.

Additional information

A detailed description of Puccinellia maritima was given by Gray & Scott (1977). May be confused with red fescue Festuca rubra.

Listed by

- none -

Further information sources

Search on:

Bibliography

  1. BSBI, 2000. Botanical Society of the British Isles database. [On-line] http://www.bsbi.org.uk, 2001-10-26

  2. Cronquist, A., 1988. The evolution and classification of flowering plants (2nd edn). New York: New York Botanical Garden.

  3. Gray, A.J. & Scott, R., 1977a. Biological flora of the British Isles. Puccinellia maritima (Huds.) Parl. Journal of Ecology, 65, 699-716.

  4. Stace, C., 1999. Field flora of the British Isles. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Datasets

  1. Botanical Society of Britain & Ireland, 2018. Other BSBI Scottish data up to 2012. Occurrence dataset: https://doi.org/10.15468/2dohar accessed via GBIF.org on 2018-09-25.

  2. Botanical Society of Britain & Ireland, 2018. Scottish SNH-funded BSBI records. Occurrence dataset: https://doi.org/10.15468/llasrt accessed via GBIF.org on 2018-09-25.

  3. Botanical Society of Britain & Ireland, 2018. Welsh BSBI data (ex-VPDB dataset) at hectad resolution. Occurrence dataset: https://doi.org/10.15468/rsvnif accessed via GBIF.org on 2018-09-25.

  4. Bristol Regional Environmental Records Centre, 2017. BRERC species records recorded over 15 years ago. Occurrence dataset: https://doi.org/10.15468/h1ln5p accessed via GBIF.org on 2018-09-25.

  5. Bristol Regional Environmental Records Centre, 2017. BRERC species records within last 15 years. Occurrence dataset: https://doi.org/10.15468/vntgox accessed via GBIF.org on 2018-09-25.

  6. Cofnod – North Wales Environmental Information Service, 2018. Miscellaneous records held on the Cofnod database. Occurrence dataset: https://doi.org/10.15468/hcgqsi accessed via GBIF.org on 2018-09-25.

  7. Dorset Environmental Records Centre, 2017. Dorset Sites of Nature Conservation Interest (SNCI) species records 2000-2008. Occurrence dataset: https://doi.org/10.15468/r1ebqb accessed via GBIF.org on 2018-09-25.

  8. Dorset Environmental Records Centre, 2017. Dorset SSSI Species Records 1952 - 2004 (Natural England). Occurrence dataset: https://doi.org/10.15468/vcjzts accessed via GBIF.org on 2018-09-25.

  9. Environmental Records Information Centre North East, 2018. ERIC NE Combined dataset to 2017. Occurrence dataset: http://www.ericnortheast.org.ukl accessed via NBNAtlas.org on 2018-09-38

  10. Essex Wildlife Trust Biological Records Centre, 2018. River Blackwater historic river corridor surveys. Occurrence dataset: https://doi.org/10.15468/bpebj2 accessed via GBIF.org on 2018-09-27.

  11. Fife Nature Records Centre, 2018. St Andrews BioBlitz 2014. Occurrence dataset: https://doi.org/10.15468/erweal accessed via GBIF.org on 2018-09-27.

  12. Lancashire Environment Record Network, 2018. LERN Records. Occurrence dataset: https://doi.org/10.15468/esxc9a accessed via GBIF.org on 2018-10-01.

  13. Manx Biological Recording Partnership, 2017. Isle of Man wildlife records from 01/01/2000 to 13/02/2017. Occurrence dataset: https://doi.org/10.15468/mopwow accessed via GBIF.org on 2018-10-01.

  14. Manx Biological Recording Partnership, 2018. Isle of Man historical wildlife records 1995 to 1999. Occurrence dataset: https://doi.org/10.15468/lo2tge accessed via GBIF.org on 2018-10-01.

  15. Manx Biological Recording Partnership, 2022. Isle of Man historical wildlife records 1990 to 1994. Occurrence dataset:https://doi.org/10.15468/aru16v accessed via GBIF.org on 2024-09-27.

  16. Merseyside BioBank., 2017. Merseyside BioBank (verified). Occurrence dataset: https://doi.org/10.15468/ar0p6s accessed via GBIF.org on 2018-10-01.

  17. Merseyside BioBank., 2018. Merseyside BioBank (unverified). Occurrence dataset: https://doi.org/10.15468/iou2ld accessed via GBIF.org on 2018-10-01.

  18. Merseyside BioBank., 2018. Merseyside BioBank Active Naturalists (unverified). Occurrence dataset: https://doi.org/10.15468/smzyqf accessed via GBIF.org on 2018-10-01.

  19. National Trust, 2017. National Trust Species Records. Occurrence dataset: https://doi.org/10.15468/opc6g1 accessed via GBIF.org on 2018-10-01.

  20. National Trust, 2018. Sutton Hoo species data held by The National Trust. Occurrence dataset: https://doi.org/10.15468/4etkkx accessed via GBIF.org on 2018-10-01.

  21. NBN (National Biodiversity Network) Atlas. Available from: https://www.nbnatlas.org.

  22. Norfolk Biodiversity Information Service, 2017. NBIS Records to December 2016. Occurrence dataset: https://doi.org/10.15468/jca5lo accessed via GBIF.org on 2018-10-01.

  23. OBIS (Ocean Biodiversity Information System),  2025. Global map of species distribution using gridded data. Available from: Ocean Biogeographic Information System. www.iobis.org. Accessed: 2025-05-23

  24. Record, 2017. RECORD Vascular Plant Data. Occurrence dataset https://doi.org/10.15468/nmdcir accessed via GBIF.org on 2018-10-02.

  25. Rotherham Biological Records Centre, 2017. Rotherham Biological Records Centre - Non-sensitive Records from all taxonomic groups. Occurrence dataset: https://doi.org/10.15468/d3tufo accessed via GBIF.org on 2018-10-02.

  26. Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, 2018. Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh Herbarium (E). Occurrence dataset: https://doi.org/10.15468/ypoair accessed via GBIF.org on 2018-10-02.

  27. South East Wales Biodiversity Records Centre, 2018. SEWBReC Vascular Plants (South East Wales). Occurrence dataset: https://doi.org/10.15468/7qjujd accessed via GBIF.org on 2018-10-02.

  28. South East Wales Biodiversity Records Centre, 2018. Dr Mary Gillham Archive Project. Occurance dataset: http://www.sewbrec.org.uk/ accessed via NBNAtlas.org on 2018-10-02

  29. Suffolk Biodiversity Information Service., 2017. Suffolk Biodiversity Information Service (SBIS) Dataset. Occurrence dataset: https://doi.org/10.15468/ab4vwo accessed via GBIF.org on 2018-10-02.

  30. The Wildlife Information Centre, 2018. TWIC Biodiversity Field Trip Data (1995-present). Occurrence dataset: https://doi.org/10.15468/ljc0ke accessed via GBIF.org on 2018-10-02.

Citation

This review can be cited as:

Tyler-Walters, H., 2001. Puccinellia maritima Common saltmarsh grass. In Tyler-Walters H. and Hiscock K. Marine Life Information Network: Biology and Sensitivity Key Information Reviews, [on-line]. Plymouth: Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom. [cited 23-05-2025]. Available from: https://www.marlin.ac.uk/species/detail/1617

Last Updated: 26/10/2001