OF THE CAROLINAS & GEORGIA

Spermatophytes (seed plants): Angiosperms (flowering plants): Monocots: Commelinids: Poales

WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/14/23):
Spartina alterniflora   FAMILY Poaceae   Go to FSUS key



SYNONYMOUS WITH PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Spartina alterniflora   FAMILY Poaceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)

Sporobolus alterniflorus

SYNONYMOUS WITH Flora of North America north of Mexico, vol. 25 (2003)

Spartina alterniflora

SYNONYMOUS WITH Floristic Synthesis of North America (Kartesz, 1999)

Spartina alterniflora

SYNONYMOUS WITH VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 029-58-003:

Spartina alterniflora   FAMILY Poaceae

INCLUDING Manual of the Grasses of the US (Hitchcock & Chase, 1950)

Spartina alterniflora var. alterniflora

INCLUDING Manual of the Grasses of the US (Hitchcock & Chase, 1950)

Spartina alterniflora var. glabra

INCLUDING Manual of the Grasses of the US (Hitchcock & Chase, 1950)

Spartina alterniflora var. pilosa

INCLUDING Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)

Spartina alterniflora var. alterniflora

INCLUDING Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)

Spartina alterniflora var. glabra

INCLUDING Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)

Spartina alterniflora var. pilosa

 

COMMON NAME:
Saltmarsh Cordgrass, Smooth Cordgrass


         To see larger pictures, click or hover over the thumbnails.

image of Spartina alterniflora, Saltmarsh Cordgrass, Smooth Cordgrass

USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Hitchcock, A.S. (rev. A. Chase). 1950    pnd_spal_001_lvd

        

image of Spartina alterniflora, Saltmarsh Cordgrass, Smooth Cordgrass

JK Marlow    jkm090517_032

May    Georgetown County    SC

image of Spartina alterniflora, Saltmarsh Cordgrass, Smooth Cordgrass

JK Marlow    jkm160915_113

September    Beaufort County    SC

Spring Island

image of Spartina alterniflora, Saltmarsh Cordgrass, Smooth Cordgrass

JK Marlow    jkm160915_139

September    Beaufort County    SC

image of Spartina alterniflora, Saltmarsh Cordgrass, Smooth Cordgrass

JK Marlow    jkm160915_145

September    Beaufort County    SC

Leaves cauline; sheaths overlapping; blades usually < 12mm wide, per Vascular Flora of the Carolinas (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968).

image of Spartina alterniflora, Saltmarsh Cordgrass, Smooth Cordgrass

Keith Bradley    kab_s_alterniflora_0130

December    Charleston County    SC

Dominant plant (often almost a monoculture) of intratidal salt marshes here, per Weakley's Flora (2020).

 

 

WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/14/23):
Spartina alterniflora   FAMILY Poaceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Spartina alterniflora   FAMILY Poaceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Sporobolus alterniflorus

SYNONYMOUS WITH Flora of North America north of Mexico, vol. 25
Spartina alterniflora

SYNONYMOUS WITH Floristic Synthesis of North America (Kartesz, 1999)
Spartina alterniflora

SYNONYMOUS WITH VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 029-58-003:
Spartina alterniflora   FAMILY Poaceae

INCLUDING Manual of the Grasses of the US (Hitchcock & Chase, 1950)
Spartina alterniflora var. alterniflora

INCLUDING Manual of the Grasses of the US (Hitchcock & Chase, 1950)
Spartina alterniflora var. glabra

INCLUDING Manual of the Grasses of the US (Hitchcock & Chase, 1950)
Spartina alterniflora var. pilosa

INCLUDING Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Spartina alterniflora var. alterniflora

INCLUDING Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Spartina alterniflora var. glabra

INCLUDING Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Spartina alterniflora var. pilosa

 

Find by SCIENTIFIC NAME:

1447

Grass, Sedge, or Rush
Perennial

Habitat: Salt marshes. S. alterniflora is the dominant plant (often essentially a monoculture) of intratidal salt marshes in our area, per Weakley's Flora

Native to the Carolinas & Georgia

Common in Coastal Plain

map
CLICK HERE to see a map, notes, and images from Weakley's Flora of the Southeastern US.

LEAVES:
Simple
Alternate, 2-ranked

RHIZOMES? STOLONS?
Rhizomatous

FLOWER:
Summer/Fall

Inflorescence an array of spikes

FRUIT:
Summer/Fall
Grain

 

TO LEARN MORE about this plant, look it up in a good book!



 


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