Elytrigia juncea (sand couch)

Tolerant of occasional immersion in salt water

Tolerant of accretion rates of up to 30cm/yr

Stomata are sunk in pits. When the leaves dry hinge cells cause the leaves to roll up closing the stomata hence reducing water loss

‘Tramlines’ along the leaves have downy hairs along them which trap moisture

Grows vertically when buried in sand

Has quick root elongation, deep vertical roots reach wetter sand

Can propagate from rhizome fragments

Mycorrhizal associations on the roots help to obtain nutrients (especially phosphorous?) from nutrient poor sand.