Common Eel-grass is a perennial with long, flexible ribbon-like leaves and fleshy rhizomes. It has flat bright-green leaves that are more than 32 mm wide. It occurs in marine bays in mud or sand in the intertidal zone and is common along the British Columbia coast. After a storm, Eel-grass is often seen washed up on the beaches.

Aboriginal Use

The Nuu-chah-nulth used the leaves to imbricate baskets and hats. After bleaching the leaves in the sun to a bright white, they would use them as is or dye them any colour they required for a basket pattern.

The Kwakwaka'wakw wove belts and baskets from Common Eel-grass, but these would have not been very strong.