Calamovilfa brevipilis (Torrey) Lamson-Scribner. Pinebarren Sandreed. Phen: Jun-Oct. Hab: Pine savanna-pocosin ecotones, longleaf pine sandhill seepage bogs, streamhead seeps, pocosins, boggy powerline rights-of-way. Dist: A "bimodal endemic", with two areas of distribution: Pine Barrens of NJ and the Coastal Plain (very rarely lower Piedmont) of e. NC, n. SC, and s. VA.
Origin/Endemic status: Endemic
Taxonomy Comments: The recognition of three geographic varieties (under Calamovilfa) by Fernald was judged by Thieret (1966) to be "untenable": var. brevipilis of NJ, var. calvipes Fernald of VA, and var. heterolepis Fernald of NC-SC.
Other Comments: Like Aristida stricta, this grass is essentially dependent on fire for flowering (it will also sometimes flower in response to mowing or other disturbance). Suppression of the natural fire regime has led to its substantial decline and the severe contraction of its range in the Southeast, since fire exclusion in its seepage or ecotone habitat leads to rapid invasion by shrubs and competitive elimination of Sporobolus brevipilis and many other herbs.
Synonymy ⓘ: = C, FNA25, G, GW1, K1, K3, RAB, S, Va, Thieret (1966); = Sporobolus brevipilis (Torr.) P.M.Peterson – K4, Peterson et al (2014a); > Calamovilfa brevipilis (Torr.) Scribn. var. brevipilis – F, HC; > Calamovilfa brevipilis (Torr.) Scribn. var. calvipes Fernald – F, HC; > Calamovilfa brevipilis (Torr.) Scribn. var. heterolepis Fernald – F, HC
Links to other floras: = Calamovilfa brevipilis - FNA25
Wetland Indicator Status:
Heliophily ⓘ: 9
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