Biological Flora of Coastal Wetlands: Sporobolus spartinus (Trin.) P.M. Peterson & Saarela

Stalter, R. and Lonard, R.I., 2022. Biological flora of coastal wetlands: Sporobolus spartinus (Trin.) P.M. Peterson & Saarela. Journal of Coastal Research, 38(6), 1231–1235. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208. Sporobolus spartinus (Trin.) P.M. Peterson & Saarela = Spartina spartinae (Trin.) Merr. ex Hitchc. is a New World temperate, subtropical, and tropical wetland species that often forms monotypic stands in intermittently flooded brackish marshes or in saline prairies that are flooded periodically. It is a densely cespitose perennial that tolerates salinities ranging from 3.5 to 44 psu. The water table at these sites is 10 to 30 cm below the surface and can be flooded up to 14 cm above the soil surface. Also known as gulf cordgrass or sacahuista, its extensive fibrous root system makes this species an excellent choice to prevent erosion and to protect the land from storm surges. The southern cordgrass community provides habitats for endangered whooping cranes and ocelots in Texas and habitats for Lower Keys marsh rabbits in Florida.