Native Distribution: Atlantic Provinces of Canada south to coastal Texas and south to South America. Zones 5 to 9. Native Habitat: Salt and brackish tidal marshes (mid-tide up to Mean High Tide level).
What is the scientific name of the smooth cordgrass?
Spartina alterniflora
Sporobolus alterniflorus/Scientific names
ABBREVIATION : SPAALT SYNONYMS : NO-ENTRY SCS PLANT CODE : SPAL COMMON NAMES : smooth cordgrass saltmarsh cordgrass TAXONOMY : The currently accepted scientific name for smooth cordgrass is Spartina alterniflora Loisel. ( Gramineae).
Where is cord grass found?
cordgrass, (genus Spartina), also called marsh grass, or salt grass, genus of 16 species of perennial grasses in the family Poaceae. Cordgrasses are found on marshes and tidal mud flats of North America, Europe, and Africa and often form dense colonies.
Where is Spartina alterniflora invasive?
Spartina alterniflora is an invasive plant on the coast of China that replaces native vegetation and has a serious negative impact on local ecosystems.
Why is Spartina alterniflora important?
S. alterniflora is a dominant species in its native range, the salt marshes of the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of the USA. It plays an important role in sediment stabilization and serves as nursery grounds for estuarine fish and invertebrates.
How tall is marsh grass?
Its common name refers to its grayish-green, saw-toothed leaves that emerge from its base. Its stems can grow 7 to 9 feet tall, depending on the depth of the water in which it grows.
Where does Spartina alterniflora grow?
Spartina alterniflora is a rhizomatous grass native to the Atlantic and Gulf coast marshes of North America (Xiao et al. 2011). It dominates the marshes in its native range.
What animal eats Spartina alterniflora?
Waterfowl, shorebirds, and songbirds eat the seeds, geese and muskrats each the rhizomes, and deer eat the entire plant. Large patches of S. alterniflora can also provide food, nesting sites, and shelter for many other animals, both above and below the soil, such as fiddler crabs and ribbed mussels.
How do you plant a Spartina alterniflora?
Smooth cordgrass should not be planted outside of the tidal zone. Smooth cordgrass will tolerate fluctuating water levels. Optimum water depths for establishing plants are 1“ to 18“. Plantings in deeper water have been successful, however plants are slow to anchor and vegetative cover is sparse.
Is Spartina Foliosa invasive?
The invasive species, Spartina alterniflora, created an even more adaptable hybrid with its relative, the bay’s native marsh plant, Spartina foliosa. The hybrid threatened to turn tidal mud flats into meadow, eliminate shorebird foraging habitat, and push the native S. foliosa toward extinction.
What is the common name of Spartan alterniflora?
Smooth Cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora) Alternate common name: Saltwater Cordgrass, Marsh Grass. Appearance: Tall, smooth grass. May be submerged at high tide. Grows 3 to 7 feet high.
Is Spartina alterniflora a fire dependent ecosystem?
SPECIES: Spartina alterniflora. Natural fires, caused by lighting and from spontaneous combustion in dense stands, have resulted in a fire-dependent ecosystem. Growth occurs year-round in southern marshes and the vegetation is so luxuriant that an unburned marsh becomes a veritable tinder box within 3 to 4 years [ 16 ].
What is the scientific name for saltmarsh cordgrass?
ABBREVIATION : SPAALT SYNONYMS : NO-ENTRY SCS PLANT CODE : SPAL COMMON NAMES : smooth cordgrass saltmarsh cordgrass TAXONOMY : The currently accepted scientific name for smooth cordgrass is Spartina alterniflora Loisel. (Gramineae).
