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We have two species in this area, Triglochin palustris (Marsh Arrow Grass) which grows in boggy areas and T. maritima (Sea Arrow Grass) which is mostly a shoreline plant (although also found inland). The first two pictures below show T. maritima which is a much bigger plant (although this could be due to its well fertilized environment on the seashore). I learnt that T. maritima was edible from a local forager here many years ago. He regularly made/makes a tasty springtime soup from it and is still going strong. I cultivate it in my garden but only use small amounts to be on the safe side. However, I’ve read that the toxicity is higher when the plants are stressed by the weather and the white bases are apparently safe. I’ve since also learnt that Sea Arrow Grass is one of the halophytic (salt-tolerant) plants which has been studied as a candidate for saline agriculture (food production on the increasingly extensive areas of land which have become too saline to grow conventional crops or for cultivation in dry coastal areas with sea water irrigation). One that is already cultivated as a food plant in the Netherlands and Morocco, which often grows together with Triglochin, can also be seen in the centre of the second picture, Aster tripolium, Sea Aster. Sea Aster can actually now be purchased as a gourmet vegetable in one of the biggest supermarket chains in the Netherlands! I guess the potential toxicity of Triglochin has not favouritised it so far, but this could perhaps be dealt with through breeding (I was in contact with a German professor working on halophytic plants and he rated it highly). I don’t know T. bulbosa, but maybe it’s related to the Australasian species T. procera, Water Ribbons, shown in the bottom picture (from Kew Gardens) which has an edible tuber. This plant was probably an important staple aboriginal food throughout Australia. The tubers are reported to have very high levels of vitamin C, but were difficult to harvest, to be found 30 cm down in the oozing mud, presumably harvested by toe rather than hand…
we should/could have both species here as well, but i think the ones i have seen are T maritima; here are a few shots--mostly from last year, this year i didn't see as many in flower, perhaps because it was drier (the fat, bent inflorescence is from this year)... my book says they grow in alkaline areas and marshes here; i don't know if the spots i have seen them are particularly alkaline--regular wet areas here with willows, grasses, Pedicularis and other typical marsh species...
Thomas, you might be right.
Luc, do you remember the Platycodon that you made a comment last year? Well, I did the refrigeration trick again, and it worked. This year it's a lot bigger and bloomed profusely!
