Click the number at the start of a key lead to highlight both that lead and its corresponding lead. Click again to show only the two highlighted leads. Click a third time to return to the full key with the selected leads still highlighted.

Key to Spartina

Poaceae

Spartina

Copy permalink to share

1 Leaves with smooth or slightly scabrous margins; spikelets glabrous or nearly so; [of salt to brackish coastal marshes]; [section Spartina; subsection Alterniflori]
1 Leaves with strongly scabrous margins; spikelets scabrous, at least on the keel; [of brackish to fresh marshes, or inland or upland].
  2 Plants strongly cespitose, forming large clumps with numerous basal leaves and culms; leaves involute; culms 0.5-2 m tall; [of s. SC southward].
    3 Spikes (6-) 15-75 per inflorescence, tightly appressed; leaves 1.5-4.5 mm wide, strongly involute; [section Spartina; subsection Ponceletia]
    3 Spikes 3-16 per inflorescence, appressed to ascending; leaves 3-7 mm wide, involute or somewhat flat toward the bases; [section Spartina; subsection Spartina]
      4 Upper glumes 3-4-veined; [native, SC to s. FL, west to e. TX]
      4 Upper glumes 1-veined; [exotic, e. TX]
  2 Plants with elongate rhizomes, forming large clonal patches, the culms arising singly; leaves involute or flat; culms either 0.5-3.5 m tall; [collectively widespread in our area]; [section Spartina; subsection Spartina].
        5 Spikes 1-9 per inflorescence; culms 0.5-1 m tall; leaves 0.5-4 (-7) mm wide, usually involute when fresh
        5 Spikes 5-70 per inflorescence; culms 1-3.5 m tall; leaves 5-20 mm wide, usually flat when fresh.
          6 Second glume acute, not awned; first glume averaging ca. 1/2 as long as the lemma; spikes (6-) 20-50 (-more) per inflorescence; [of fresh to brackish coastal marshes]
          6 Second glume with an awn 3-10 mm long; first glume averaging ca. 7/8 as long as the lemma; spikes (5-) 7-27 per inflorescence; [of fresh marshes, either inland or coastal]