Vallisneria spiralis - Eel Grass
| Family: | Hydrocharitaceae |
| Habit: | Perennial |
| Synonyms: | |
| Range: | Southern Europe, north to France south to the tropics. Naturalized in Britain[17]. |
Eel Grass will flower in December to April. The flowers from this plant are dioecious (each plant is either male or female, thus both genders need to be present to seed) and they are pollinated by Water
Soil Information
Eel Grass will grow in light (sandy),medium (loamy),hard (clay) soil. It is not necessary for the soil to be well drained.The soil prefers the following PH / acid levels :
- pH of less than 6, Acidic soils
- pH between 6 and 8, Neutral soils
- pH greater than 8, Basic soils
Eel Grass prefers soils
Ideal Planting Locations
Eel Grass should not be planted in shady areas.Still and flowing water[50]. In Britain it is found in ponds that are heated by the effluent from mills[17].
Planting places suited to this plant described below.
- Is a pond plant
Cultivation Details
A water plant for a large aquarium or for deep water outdoors[1], it prefers slightly acid conditions in a sunny position[200]. This species is not very hardy in Britain, though it should succeed outdoors in the mildest areas of the country[200]. A valuable water oxygenator[200]. The leaves can be up to 1 metre long[1]. Dioecious, male and female plants must be grown if seed is required. Male flowers are produced below the surface of the water and females are produced on the surface. Fertilization takes place when male flowers break off the plant, float to the surface and fall into a slight depression formed by the female flowers on the surface of the water[274].Edible Uses*
* See disclaimerEdible Rating: 1/5
Young leaves - raw[46, 61, 105]. The dried leaves contain 14.1% ash, 1154mg calcium, 3205mg phosphorus and 141mg iron per 100g[218].
- Leaves -
Medicinal Uses*
* See disclaimerMedicinal Rating: 2/5
The plant is aperitif, demulcent, refrigerant, stomachic and is also used in the treatment of women's complaints[178, 218, 240]. The plant is used in the treatment of leucorrhoea[178, 218] and is made into a tea with Sesame (Sesamum indicum) to improve the appetite[218].
- Appetizer - Improves the appetite
- Demulcent - Soothes, lubricates and softens irritated tissues, especially the mucous membranes.
- Refrigerant - Cools the body.
- Stomachic - Aids and improves the action of the stomach.
- Women's complaints - A very vague title, it deals with a miscellany of problems peculiar to the female sex.
Propagation
Seed - we have no information on this species but suggest sowing the seed in a warm greenhouse as soon as it is ripe. Lay the seed on the surface of a pot of soil and immerse this in water. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in water in the greenhouse for their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Division of rooted runners in the growing season.Known Hazards
None knownOther Uses
None knownCultivars
no recorded cultivarsReferences
Flora Europaea?
Author: ?
Rating:
Publisher : An immense work in 6 volumes (including the index). The standard reference flora for europe, it is very terse though and with very little extra information. Not for the casual reader.
Date of Publication : 1964
The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
Huxley. A.
Author: Huxley. A.
Rating:
Publisher : Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
Date of Publication : 1992
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