The longer lived, more prominent autotrophic plant is the gametophyte.
2.
The globose or ovoid tubers ( 1 to 1.5 centimetres ) of these autotrophic plants are fleshy and not lobed, with several slender roots.
3.
Like all autotrophic plants, seagrasses photosynthesize so are limited to growing in the submerged photic zone, and most occur in shallow and sheltered coastal waters anchored in sand or mud bottoms.