Sporobolus alterniflorus, or synonymously known as Spartina alterniflora, the smooth cordgrass, saltmarsh cordgrass, or salt-water cordgrass, is a perennial deciduous grass which is found in intertidal wetlands, especially estuarine salt marshes. It has been reclassified as Sporobolus alterniflorus after a taxonomic revision in 2014, but it is still common to see Spartina alterniflora and in 2019 an interdisciplinary team of experts coauthored a report published in the journal Ecology supporting Spartina as a genus. It grows 1–1.5 m tall and has smooth, hollow stems that bear leaves up to 20–60 cm long and 1.5 cm wide at their base, which are sharply tapered and bend down at their tips. Like its relative saltmeadow cordgrass S. patens, it produces flowers and seeds on only one side of the stalk. The flowers are a yellowish-green, turning brown by the winter. It has rhizoidal roots, which, when broken off, can result in vegetative asexual growth. The roots are an important food resource for snow geese. It can grow in low marsh as well as high marsh, but it is usually restricted to low marsh because it is outcompeted by salt meadow cordgrass in the high marsh. It grows in a wide range of salinities, from about 5 psu to marine, and has been described as the "single most important marsh plant species in the estuary" of Chesapeake Bay. It is described as intolerant of shade.
Vulpia myuros, the annual fescue, or rat's-tail fescue, is an annual flowering plant in grass family Poaceae. It was probably originally native to Eurasia, but it can now be found nearly worldwide as a naturalized species.
Sporobolus is a nearly cosmopolitan genus of plants in the grass family. The name Sporobolus means "seed-thrower", and is derived from Ancient Greek word σπόρος (spóros), meaning "seed", and the root of βάλλειν (bállein) "to throw", referring to the dispersion of seeds. Members of the genus are usually called dropseeds or sacaton grasses. They are typical prairie and savanna plants, occurring in other types of open habitat in warmer climates. At least one species is threatened with extinction, and another is extinct.
Sporobolus schoenoides is a species of grass known by the common names swamp pricklegrass, swamp timothy, and cowpond grass. This grass is native to Europe but it is present in most other continents where it was introduced and took hold. This is an annual grass with purple-tinted green stems which forms mats and low clumps near water. It has wide-sheathed leaves and large sheaths that partially cover the inflorescences. The clublike inflorescence may exceed 4 centimeters in length and two in width. It is chunky and purple or purplish-green.
Tussock grasses or bunch grasses are a group of grass species in the family Poaceae. They usually grow as singular plants in clumps, tufts, hummocks, or bunches, rather than forming a sod or lawn, in meadows, grasslands, and prairies. As perennial plants, most species live more than one season. Tussock grasses are often found as forage in pastures and ornamental grasses in gardens.
Sporobolus virginicus, known by numerous common names including seashore dropseed, marine couch, sand couch, salt couch grass, saltwater couch, coastal rat-tail grass, and nioaka, is a species of grass with a wide distribution.
Sporobolus alopecuroides is a species of grass known by the common name foxtail pricklegrass. It is native to Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa. It is also known in the western United States as a common and widespread introduced species, especially in sandy areas around water, such as lakesides. It has also been collected at shipping points near Philadelphia but has not been seen there in about a century. This is an annual grass producing mostly upright and unbranching stems, often dark in color, up to about 75 centimeters in maximum height. The green leaves are up to 12 centimeters long, sometimes waxy in texture. The inflorescence is a dense cylindrical panicle of tiny green to purple spikelets.
Ehrharta calycina is a species of grass known by the common names perennial veldtgrass and purple veldtgrass.
The Ascension scrub and grasslands ecoregion covers the dormant volcano, Ascension Island in the Atlantic Ocean. As well as shrubs and grasses wildlife on the island includes a range of unique flora and fauna. In particular the surrounding islets are important havens for many seabirds. However the seabird populations on Ascension Island itself have been severely affected by introduced species, especially cats, which were the subject of an eradication campaign between 2002 and 2006.
Sporobolus montevidensis is a species of grass known by the common name denseflower cordgrass. Although reclassified after a taxonomic revision in 2014, it may still be referred to as Spartina densiflora by some users. It is native to the coastline of southern South America, where it is a resident of salt marshes. It is also known on the west coast of the North America and parts of the Mediterranean coast as an introduced species and in some areas a noxious weed. In California it is a troublesome invasive species of marshes in San Francisco Bay and in Humboldt Bay, where it was introduced during the 19th century from Chile in ballast.
Sporobolus cryptandrus is a species of grass known as sand dropseed. It is native to North America, where it is widespread in southern Canada, most of the United States, and northern Mexico.
Sporobolus indicus is a species of grass known by the common name smut grass.
Sporobolus pumilus, the saltmeadow cordgrass, also known as salt hay, is a species of cordgrass native to the Atlantic coast of the Americas, from Newfoundland south along the eastern United States to the Caribbean and north-eastern Mexico. It was reclassified after a taxonomic revision in 2014, but the older name, Spartina patens, may still be found in use. It can be found in marshlands in other areas of the world as an introduced species and often a harmful noxious weed or invasive species.
Dalea purpurea is a species of flowering plant in the legume family known as purple prairie clover. Native to central North America, purple prairie clover is a relatively common member of the Great Plains and prairie ecosystems. It blooms in the summer with dense spikes of bright purple flowers that attract many species of insects.
Sporobolus wrightii is a species of grass known by the common names big sacaton and giant sacaton. It is native to the western United States and northern and central Mexico.
Sporobolus jacquemontii, commonly known as American rat's tail grass, is a species of grass native to the southeastern United States, Central and South America. It has become a weed in Queensland in Australia.
Sporobolus pyramidalis is a species of grass native to Africa and Yemen. It does not have a distinct established English name, but it is one of the two species of giant rat's tail grasses. It has become a weed in eastern Australia.
Sporobolus fertilis is a species of grass native to the Himalayas, India, Sri Lanka, Burma, Thailand, China, Japan, and Malaysia. It is an invasive species in Australia, where it is known as giant parramatta grass. This plant first appeared in scientific literature as Agrostis fertilis in the Synopsis Plantarum Glumacearum of 1854, published by the German botanist Ernst Gottlieb von Steudel.
Giant rat's tail grass or giant rats tail grass refers to two species of Sporobolus grasses.
