Key to Spartina

View taxon page for Spartina

(For a list of species in Spartina, use the above link.)

Jepson Manual glossary definitions can be seen by moving your cursor over words underlined with dots.

1. Stem 5–14 mm wide at base, 

internodes 

Segment of an axis (generally a stem) between successive positions (nodes) from which one or more structures (especially leaves, buds, branches, or flowers) arise.

 fleshy; middle 

leaf 

Organ arising from a stem, generally composed of a stalk (petiole) and a flat, expanded, green, photosynthetic area (blade); distinguished from a leaflet by the presence in its axil of a bud, branch, thorn, or flower; sometimes with lateral, basal appendages (stipules); either simple (toothed, lobed, or dissected but not divided into leaflets) or compound (divided into leaflets).

 blades generally flat when fresh or inrolled near tip, 4–25 mm wide at base; 

rhizome 

1. In seed plants, stem that is often elongate, more or less horizontal, usually underground; distinguished from roots by bearing of leaves, leaf scars, axillary buds, etc. 2. In ferns, stem that is located underground, embedded in leaf litter, on rocks or in rock crevices, or on trees or tree branches, often scaly or hairy; distinguished from roots by bearing of fronds (roots rarely bear fronds), and their greater diameter.

present; coastal

2. Inflorescence ± open, spikes loosely overlapping, loosely 

appressed 

Parallel or nearly parallel to and often in contact with surface of origin; used to describe the disposition of hairs, leaves, pedicels, etc.

or 

spreading 

Oriented more or less perpendicularly to the axis of attachment; often, more or less horizontal.

(to 10°–20°) ..... S. alterniflora

2' Inflorescence dense, 

cylindric 

Elongate, with parallel sides and, at any point, round in transverse section.

, spikes closely overlapping, generally closely appressed ..... S. foliosa

1' Stem 1.5–6 mm wide at base, internodes firm; middle leaf blades generally inrolled when fresh, 1–8 mm wide at base; rhizome sometimes 0; coastal or interior

3. Inflorescence open, spikes 

ascending 

Curving or angling upward from base, or about 30-60 degrees less than vertical or away from axis of attachment.

to spreading (to ± 60°), lowest often not overlapping; coastal ..... S. patens

3' Inflorescence compact, spikes appressed, overlapping

4. Rhizome generally 0 (rarely present, short, stout); coastal ..... S. densiflora

4' Rhizome present, elongate, slender; interior ..... S. gracilis

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