SEXUAL REPRODUCTION AND SEED BANKS OF CYMODOCEA-NODOSA (UCRIA) ASCHERSON MEADOWS ON THE SOUTHEAST MEDITERRANEAN COAST OF SPAIN

Flowering, fruiting and seed germination of the seagrass Cymodocea nod osa (Ucria) Ascherson are recurrent in the Mar Menor coastal lagoon an d other places on the southeast Mediterranean coast of Spain, Flowers showed a clumped pattern of spatial distribution (P<0.01) and their de nsity values ranged between 4.7 and 44.8 flowers m(-2). No spatial ass ociation was found between male and female flowers (P<0.01) at the spa tial scale considered (2500 cm(2)). Seed banks ranged between 0 and 22 0.3 seeds m(-2), and the seeds showed also a clumped spatial distribut ion (P<0.01). The vegetative development of some low-density meadows o riginating from seeds and the effect of water movement on the fate of seed production are discussed.