Amphibolis
Encyclopedia
Amphibolis is a genus
in the family
Cymodoceaceae. It includes two species
of sea grass endemic to the western and southern coast of Australia
, Amphibolis antarctica
and Amphibolis griffithii
, commonly known as sea nymph or wire weed. The seeds produce an anchoring comb of bristles while they mature on the female plant, giving the seedling a purchase when it arrives at a new site.
A type of seagrass
, the plants of this genus forms meadows on calcareous sands. These meadows, and their consequent detritus, become an important source of food and shelter for a number of marine species. The interweaving roots and leaves consolidate the substrate of the ocean floor, protecting it from erosion by currents and wave action.
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
in the family
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
Cymodoceaceae. It includes two species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
of sea grass endemic to the western and southern coast of Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, Amphibolis antarctica
Amphibolis antarctica
Amphibolis antarctica, commonly known as Wire weed or Sea Nymph, is a seagrass found in coastal waters of southern and western Australia.-Description:...
and Amphibolis griffithii
Amphibolis griffithii
Amphibolis griffithii is a seagrass found in waters along the southwestern coasts of Western Australia. -Description:A common marine herb, the rhizomatous plant forms meadows which stabilise sands; the intertwining roots and leaves protects the substrate from ocean currents...
, commonly known as sea nymph or wire weed. The seeds produce an anchoring comb of bristles while they mature on the female plant, giving the seedling a purchase when it arrives at a new site.
A type of seagrass
Seagrass
Seagrasses are flowering plants from one of four plant families , all in the order Alismatales , which grow in marine, fully saline environments.-Ecology:...
, the plants of this genus forms meadows on calcareous sands. These meadows, and their consequent detritus, become an important source of food and shelter for a number of marine species. The interweaving roots and leaves consolidate the substrate of the ocean floor, protecting it from erosion by currents and wave action.
External links
- Images of Amphibolis at AlgaebaseAlgaeBaseAlgaeBase is a global species database of information on all groups of algae, as well as one group of flowering plants, the sea-grasses.AlgaeBase evolved from Michael Guiry's seaweed website, and has grown into a database of algae from throughout the world, and in freshwater, terrestrial, and...