Description :

• Perennial, tufted, rhizomatous or stoloniferous
• Leaf blade flat or folded, rigid; ligule a minute fringe of hairs
• Inflorescence of (1)2 or 3 long, 1-sided, persistent, spike-like racemes, subdigitate; rachis keeled on face, flattened dorsally, elongated at tip into a sharp point; spikelets solitary, subsessile, 2-ranked on rachis
• Spikelet 12-15 mm long, strongly laterally compressed, falling entire at maturity; glumes very unequal, dissimilar, softly and shortly hairy, keeled, shortly awned or awnless; lower glume linear, acute or obtuse, 1-nerved; upper glume membranous or subcoriaceous, 3-nerved
• Floret 1, bisexual; lemma oblong, membranous, keeled, minutely hairy upwards, 1-nerved, awnless; palea equalling lemma, 2-nerved, hyaline
• Lodicules often 0
• Stamens 3
• Ovary glabrous; styles long, connate at base, plumose above
• Caryopsis fusiform
• x = 7, 10 (high polyploidy)

Nomenclature:

• Spartina Schreb.
  • Schreber: 43 (1789)
  • Stapf: 632 (1900)
  • Chippindall: 208 (1955)
  • Mobberly: 471 (1956)
  • Launert: 176 (1970)
  • Clayton & Renvoize: 244 (1986)
  • Gibbs Russell et al.: 302 (1990)

Distribution & Notes:

• Global : Species ± 16, temperate America, coastal Europe and Africa
• Southern Africa : Species 1: Spartina maritima (Curtis) Fernald, Namibia and shores of Western and Eastern Cape