Neptune Grass

Description:

Also known as Mediterranean Tapeweed while the fruit are called "Olives of the sea" in Italy. The balls are the fruit which float free and the straw is the remains of the dead grass which have been washed ashore in huge amounts over the winter. When we arrived it covered much of the beach, which was just rock-hard sand. Within a week most had been raked up and taken away (see Notes) and a plough was being used to prepare the beach for the annual holiday rush. These pictures were taken further around the bay where work had not started and in placed the straw was perhaps a metre thick with more being washed in all the time as can be seen in pictures 3-6.

Habitat:

Mediterranean sea and coastlines (endemic).

Notes:

From http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/15353... Posidonia oceanica was used for animal food, especially for poultry, sometimes for camels during famines. The dead leaves are used in mattresses and pillows and for some other anecdotal uses (toys). It also is used in charcoal processing, compost, and as substrate for hydroponic agriculture and organic enrichment, and roof insulation. Posidonia oceanica banquette or beach wrack is currently used for building insulation in Europe.