Localities. — O n tlu* sea-shores, almost everywhere, and in adjacent salt-water 
ditches. 
Perennial. — Flowers through the Summer. 
Root fibrous. Stem from 2 to 3 feet long, floating under water, 
round, smooth, decumbent at the base, jointed, the joints throwing 
out roots, upper part upright, leafy. Leaves alternate, from 4 to 
8 inches or more long, and 2 or 3 lines wide, strap-shaped, bright 
green, grass-like, floating, smooth, entire, blunt at the extremity, 
much sheathing at the base, and throughout the whole length more 
or less distinctly 3-nerved, the nerves connected by transverse 
veins. Flowers quite destitute of both calyx and corolla, and in- 
serted in 2 longitudinal lines on the superior surface of a long, 
strap-shaped, somewhat succulent, cellulose spadix, arising from a 
sheathing portion of a leaf, which thus forms the spatha. Pistils 
and Anthers alternate, generally 2 anthers, and then 1 pistil ; both 
egg-shaped, or oblong-egg-shaped (see fig. 3, a & b. and figs. 4, 5, 
and 6.), the germen tipped with a 2-parted, long, filiform style. 
Both are green. Anther bursting irregularly, and discharging an 
exceedingly minute pollen, mixed with pellucid, branched fibres. 
Fruit (fig. 8.) cylindrical, rather succose, smooth, green, at length 
between membranaceous and horny, when dry striated, often end- 
ing in a beak by means of a portion of the style and stigmas. See 
Hooker’s FI. Lond. 
Whole plant variable in size. The large variety, fig. 2. is found on the coast 
of Scotland, but never, 1 believe, in flower. Sir J. K. Smith says, “ Zostera 
is easiest undeistood, as a simple unilateral spike of naked flowers disposed in 
two ranks.” 
It is thrown on the shore by the tide, in great plenty, and mounds or walls aie 
built with it to oppose the encroachment of the sea. Exposure to the weather 
bleaches it white. Buildings are thatched with the green leaves, which will en- 
dure upwards of a century. It is used by the inhabitants of Gothland, in Sweden, 
as a manure, and also for stuffing beds ; and of late it has been imported in large 
quantities from the Continent, and is now prepaied in this country for stuffing 
mattresses, and for the other purposes to which horse-hair is in general applied. 
Jt is also used for packing glass-bottles, and other brittle ware. Pallas tells 
us, that in Russia it is found among Pottery in old tombs.— Horses and swine 
eat it ; cows are not fond of it. 
The following lines were suggested by the peculiar beauty and 
curious formation of this plant. 
“ More near to the orb of her ardent devotion, 
Zostera ascends from the deep coral cave, 
(Where no sun-beams enliven the gloom of the ocean,) 
To float in the splendour that lights up the wave. 
How sweetly she blooms on the calm swelling billow, 
While the sun’s parting glory illumines the west t 
And though fitful and wild is that treacherous pillow, 
Its rockings but waft to an haven of rest. 
So grant that our thoughts, on the wings of devotion. 
May rise from the depth of affliction to Thee ; 
O, Thou ! who canst silence the waves of the ocean, 
The dark rolling billows of life’s stormy sea 1 
Then weep not, poor pilgrim, though startled from slumber. 
And vanish’d the dreams that once render’d thee blest ; 
Peace divine, a sure pilot, o’er waves without number, 
W'ill guide thy frail bark to an haven of rest.” 
