Spartina anglica
Common name
spartina hybrid, cordgrass
Family
Poaceae
Flora category
Vascular – Exotic
Structural class
Grasses
NVS code
The National Vegetation Survey (NVS) Databank is a physical archive and electronic databank containing records of over 94,000 vegetation survey plots - including data from over 19,000 permanent plots. NVS maintains a standard set of species code abbreviations that correspond to standard scientific plant names from the Ngä Tipu o Aotearoa - New Zealand Plants database.
SPAANG
Habitat
Aquatic: Emergent. Estuaries, mangroves and other intertidal areas with soft sediment.
Features
Stiff perennial grass 50 to 100 cm tall with fleshy rhizomes, forming large dense clumps or swards. Leaf blades 5-40cm x 5-12mm flat or inrolled, hairless and narrowed to fine hard tip. Culm erect, 5-8mm diameter at base, including closely ensheathing leaves. inflorescence 10-30cm, erect.
Similar taxa
Spartina anglica can be distinguished from S. alterniflora by its smaller stem size (5-8mm) (S. alterniflora stem 8-30 mm). And from S. x townsendii by the presence of fertile seed (seed is aborted in S. x townsendii)
Life cycle
Perennial. Reproduces from seed and rhizome spreading and fragments. Seed is dispersed by wind and water. Livestock, propellers nets etc dislodge rhizome fragments, tidal and current movement, intentional planting. Rhizomes can survive long time at sea, moves long distances.
Year naturalised
1981
Origin
England
Reason for introduction
Agricultural
Tolerances
Tolerates very saline conditions. Can survive burying.