Western Wetland Flora
Field Office Guide to Plant Species
Spartina gracilis Trin.
- Family: Grass (Gramineae)
- Flowering: June-September
- Field Marks: This species has compressed, 1-flowered spikelets densely arranged in 2 rows on 2 sides of the axis. The second glume is awnless or with a minute awn. The leaves are up to 1/4 inch wide.
- Habitat: Along streams, around lakes and ponds, in wet meadows, frequently in alkaline habitats.
- Habit: Perennial herb with well developed rhizomes.
- Stems: Upright, unbranched, hollow, up to 3 feet tall, smooth.
- Leaves: Elongated, narrow, flat, up to 8 inches long, up to 1/4 inch wide, without hairs but rough to the touch on the upper surface.
- Flowers: Borne in 1-flowered spikelets arranged in compressed spikes, with many spikes forming a panicle up to 8 inches long, each spike up to 3 inches long; glumes up to 1/3 inch long, pointed at the tip; lemmas lanceolate, ciliate, not awned.
- Sepals: 0.
- Petals: 0.
- Stamens: 3.
- Pistils: Ovary superior.
- Grains: Obovoid, smooth.
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