|                    Saltmarsh cordgrass, Smooth cordgrass
                      |  
              
                |                    Spartina alterniflora var. glabra
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                |                    Poaceae 
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                 Landscape Uses:
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                 Primarily recommended for natural landscapes and habitat restorations. | 
               
                Ecological Restoration Notes:  | 
               
              
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                 Utilized as a water and substrate stabilizer in tidal swamp restorations in South Florida.  Natural populations are very rare. | 
               
              
                | Availability: | 
               
              
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                 Available at native plant nurseries in central Florida. | 
               
              
                | Description: | 
               
              
                |   | 
                 Medium herbaceous grass. | 
               
              
                | Height: | 
               
              
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                 Emergent 1-2 feet above the water.  Spreading from underground stems (rhizomes) and forming patches much broader than tall. | 
               
              
                | Growth Rate: | 
               
              
                |   | 
                 Moderate. | 
               
              
                | Range: | 
               
              
                |   | 
                 Widespread along the eastern coastline of North American west to Texas and south to Miami-Dade County and the Monroe County mainland; northeastern coast of South America.  Very rare in South Florida.  Perhaps never naturally present or natural populations extirpated in Broward County; now cultivated there.  Reported in error for the Monroe County Keys. | 
               
              
                | Habitats: | 
               
              
                |   | 
                 Coastal marshes. | 
               
              
                | Soils: | 
               
              
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                 Wet, inundated brackish or saline soils. | 
               
              
                | Nutritional Requirements: | 
               
              
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                 High; requires rich organic soils for optimal growth. | 
               
              
                | Salt Water Tolerance: | 
               
              
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                 High; tolerates flooding by salt water. | 
               
              
                | Salt Wind Tolerance: | 
               
              
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                 Moderate; grows near salt water, but is protected from direct salt spray by other vegetation. | 
               
              
                | Drought Tolerance: | 
               
              
                |   | 
                 Low; requires moist to wet soils and is intolerant of long periods of drought. | 
               
              
                | Light Requirements: | 
               
              
                |   | 
                 Full sun. | 
               
              
                | Flower Color: | 
               
              
                |   | 
                 Brownish inflorescence. | 
               
              
                | Flower Characteristics: | 
               
              
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                 Inconspicuous. | 
               
              
                | Flowering Season: | 
               
              
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                 Summer-fall. | 
               
              
                | Fruit: | 
               
              
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                 Inconspicuous caryopsis. | 
               
              
                | Wildlife and Ecology: | 
               
              
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                 Larval host plant for Aaron's skipper (Poanes aaroni). | 
               
                     
                | Horticultural Notes: | 
               
              
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                 Can be grown from division, and by seed with difficulty. | 
               
              
                | Comments: | 
               
              
                |   | 
                 Imperiled and sporadic in South Florida, perhaps due to widespread modifications to coastal hydrology | 
               
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