Zostera capricorni
Content
Description
Stamens:
Fruit ellipsoid, 2 mm long and 1 mm wide, flattened, with a 1 mm long beak;
Seed ellipsoid, 2 by 1 mm;
Distribution
Asia-Tropical, Daru on the S coast of Papua New Guinea present, Lord Howe Island present, New Zealand present, North Island present, eastern coast of Australia, from northern Victoria to Torres Strait present
Zostera capricorni is widely distributed along the eastern coast of Australia, from northern Victoria to Torres Strait. Further it occurs on North Island, New Zealand and on Lord Howe Island In Malesia it is only known from Daru on the S coast of Papua New Guinea (Johnstone 1979).
Taxonomy
Johnstone, l.c., recorded the New Guinea material as Zostera spec., because it was almost identical to Z. capricorni “except for the leaf tips which are distinctly mucronate”. In this species, however, mucronate leaf tips are not a rare feature, particularly in young leaves. I have seen the Daru-material and cannot distinguish it from Z. capricorni.