Chapter 17
Biology of Posidonia
Sylvie Gobert
∗
MARE, Oceanology, University of Li `
ege. B6c, 3 all ´
ee de la Chimie. B-4000 Li `
ege Belgium
Marion L. Cambridge
School of Plant Biology (Botany M90), University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway,
Crawley, WA 6009, Australia
Branco Velimirov
Institut fuer Medizinische Biologie, Arbeitsgruppe Allgemeine Mikrobiologie, Universitaet Wien,
Waehringerstr.10, A-1090 Wien, Austria
G ´
erard Pergent
Eq. E. L. Universit ´
e de Corse, Facult ´
e des Sciences, BP 52, 20250 Corte, France
Gilles Lepoint, Jean-Marie Bouquegneau, and Patrick Dauby
Oceanology, University of Li `
ege. B6c, 3 all ´
ee de la Chimie. B-4000 Li `
ege Belgium
Christine Pergent-Martini
Eq. E. L. Universit ´
e de Corse, Facult ´
e des Sciences, BP 52, 20250 Corte, France
Diana I. Walker
School of Plant Biology (Botany M90), University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway,
Crawley, WA 6009, Australia
I. Introduction
At least 17,000 km separate the endemic Mediterranean Posidonia oceanica (L.) Delile from the eight
other species of the same genus (P. angustifolia Cambridge and Kuo, P. australis Hooker, P. coriacea Kuo
and Cambridge, P. denhartogii Kuo and Cambridge,
P. kirkmanii Kuo and Cambridge, P. ostenfeldii Den
Hartog, P. robertsoniae Kuo and Cambridge, and P.
sinuosa Cambridge and Kuo) (Cambridge and Kuo,
∗ Author for correspondence, email: sylviegobert@ulg.ac.be
1979; Kuo and Cambridge, 1984). Along Mediterranean coastlines, P. oceanica covers about 2% of
the seafloor. Australian Posidonia occurs in benthic
habitats covering about twice the area of the Mediterranean Sea.
The nine members of the genus Posidonia are
perennial plants, with linear leaves and a persistent
leaf-sheath after the leaf-blade has been shed. They
are monoecious, and have hermaphrodite inflorescences. The perianth is absent (Den Hartog, 1970).
The genus consists of large seagrasses with long
leaves, high shoot and leaf longevities, and low shoot
387–408.
A. W. D. Larkum et al. (eds.), Seagrasses: Biology, Ecology and Conservation, pp.
c
2006 Springer. Printed in the Netherlands.
Biology of Posidonia
Sylvie Gobert
∗
MARE, Oceanology, University of Li `
ege. B6c, 3 all ´
ee de la Chimie. B-4000 Li `
ege Belgium
Marion L. Cambridge
School of Plant Biology (Botany M90), University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway,
Crawley, WA 6009, Australia
Branco Velimirov
Institut fuer Medizinische Biologie, Arbeitsgruppe Allgemeine Mikrobiologie, Universitaet Wien,
Waehringerstr.10, A-1090 Wien, Austria
G ´
erard Pergent
Eq. E. L. Universit ´
e de Corse, Facult ´
e des Sciences, BP 52, 20250 Corte, France
Gilles Lepoint, Jean-Marie Bouquegneau, and Patrick Dauby
Oceanology, University of Li `
ege. B6c, 3 all ´
ee de la Chimie. B-4000 Li `
ege Belgium
Christine Pergent-Martini
Eq. E. L. Universit ´
e de Corse, Facult ´
e des Sciences, BP 52, 20250 Corte, France
Diana I. Walker
School of Plant Biology (Botany M90), University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway,
Crawley, WA 6009, Australia
I. Introduction
At least 17,000 km separate the endemic Mediterranean Posidonia oceanica (L.) Delile from the eight
other species of the same genus (P. angustifolia Cambridge and Kuo, P. australis Hooker, P. coriacea Kuo
and Cambridge, P. denhartogii Kuo and Cambridge,
P. kirkmanii Kuo and Cambridge, P. ostenfeldii Den
Hartog, P. robertsoniae Kuo and Cambridge, and P.
sinuosa Cambridge and Kuo) (Cambridge and Kuo,
∗ Author for correspondence, email: sylviegobert@ulg.ac.be
1979; Kuo and Cambridge, 1984). Along Mediterranean coastlines, P. oceanica covers about 2% of
the seafloor. Australian Posidonia occurs in benthic
habitats covering about twice the area of the Mediterranean Sea.
The nine members of the genus Posidonia are
perennial plants, with linear leaves and a persistent
leaf-sheath after the leaf-blade has been shed. They
are monoecious, and have hermaphrodite inflorescences. The perianth is absent (Den Hartog, 1970).
The genus consists of large seagrasses with long
leaves, high shoot and leaf longevities, and low shoot
387–408.
A. W. D. Larkum et al. (eds.), Seagrasses: Biology, Ecology and Conservation, pp.
c
2006 Springer. Printed in the Netherlands.