Fimbristylis spadicea
Species of grass-like plant
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Fimbristylis spadicea, commonly known as marsh fimbry or saltmarsh fimbristylis, is a perennial sedge of the family Cyperaceae. It is native to the coastal Americas from New York and northwestern Mexico to northeastern Argentina and Peru.[1]
| Marsh fimbry | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Embryophytes |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Monocots |
| Clade: | Commelinids |
| Order: | Poales |
| Family: | Cyperaceae |
| Genus: | Fimbristylis |
| Species: | F. spadicea |
| Binomial name | |
| Fimbristylis spadicea | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
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Synonymy
| |
The species was first described as Scirpus spadiceus by Carl Linnaeus in 1753. In 1805 Martin Vahl placed it in the newly-described genus Fimbristylis as Fimbristylis spadicea. The species has over two dozen synonyms.[1]
Description
Fimbristylis spadicea commonly grows up to 1 m (3 ft 3 in) in height, forming thick clumps.[2] Its narrow leaves grow from the base of the plant. They are dark brown and sturdy at the base and grow from one half to two thirds of the plant's height in length.[3] The small flowers of the sedge are hidden behind dark, glossy, brown scales that form budlike spikelets.[4]
Distribution and habitat
It is native to the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of the Americas. On the Atlantic coast it ranges from New York to northern Brazil, including the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean coasts, and to Argentina's Rio de la Plata estuary.[1][5][6] On the Pacific coast it ranges from northwestern Mexico to Peru.[1]
It commonly grows in salt marshes coastal dunes, and brackish marsh inland, especially near wharves.[3]