New! - Search other data sources for Spartina alterniflora

Help - Wrong Description?

Kew Data Sources

Kew's Herbarium Catalogue
ePIC - Electronic Plant Information Centre

External Data Sources

Note - this takes you off of our website
Use your browser's back button to return to this page

GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora

Descriptions

W.D. Clayton, M. Vorontsova, K.T. Harman & H. Williamson

© Copyright The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Spartina alterniflora

HABIT Perennial. Rhizomes elongated; fleshy. Culms erect; 40–100 cm long. Leaf-sheaths without keel. Ligule a fringe of hairs; 1–1.8 mm long. Leaf-blades persistent; 10–40 cm long; 5–10 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface ribbed. Leaf-blade apex acuminate; hardened.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 5–13; digitate, or borne along a central axis; erect; unilateral; 10–20 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 1–5 cm long. Rhachis angular; smooth on margins; terminating in a barren extension; extension bristle-like; extension 15–27 mm long. Spikelet packing broadside to rhachis; regular; 2 -rowed.

Spikelets appressed; solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate, or oblong; laterally compressed; compressed strongly; 10–15 mm long; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; exceeding apex of florets. Lower glume linear; 0.66 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1–3 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scaberulous. Lower glume surface glabrous. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 10–15 mm long; 1.1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; herbaceous; with membranous margins; 1-keeled; 5–9 -veined. Upper glume primary vein scabrous. Upper glume surface glabrous. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 8–12 mm long; herbaceous; much thinner on margins; keeled; 1–5 -veined. Lemma surface glabrous. Lemma apex acute. Palea 1.1 length of lemma; 2 -veined.

FLOWER Lodicules absent. Anthers 3; 5–6 mm long. Stigmas protogynous; terminally exserted; pubescent.

FRUIT Caryopsis with tardily free pericarp; linear. Hilum punctiform.

DISTRIBUTION Europe: northern and southwestern. Asia-temperate: China. Australasia: New Zealand. North America: eastern Canada, northeast USA, south-central USA, and southeast USA. South America: Caribbean, northern South America, Brazil, and southern South America.

NOTES Cynodonteae. CEH.

Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.