Aristida stricta
| Aristida stricta | |
|---|---|
| |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Division: | Tracheophyta - Vascular plants |
| Class: | Lilianae - Monoctyledons |
| Order: | Poales |
| Family: | Poaceae |
| Genus: | Aristida |
| Species: | A. stricta |
| Binomial name | |
| Aristida stricta L. | |
| |
| Natural range of Aristida stricta from USDA NRCS Plants Database. | |
Contents
Description
Common names: Threeawn, Wiregrass
Distribution
Weakley mentions, A. stricta, is found in areas adjacent to the Coastal Plain, in the Piedmont areas in northeast North Carolina to northeast South Carolina (Weakley 2015).
Ecology
A. stricta used to be the keystone species of the Coastal Plain in the Carolinas (Weakley 2015). The foliage of A. stricta helps the lightning-set fires to spread and thereby maintain the habitats, pine savannas, sandhills, and pine flatwoods (Weakley 2015). Although, those habitats are not common due to agriculture, pine farms, and development (Weakley 2015). Fire suppression and ground (soil) disturbance has led to a rapid decline in A. stricta’s population throughout the Coastal Plain (Weakley 2015).Weakley mentions Ward (2001) proposes there is varietal status for A. stricta and A. beyrichiana, see Weakley’s most recently updated guide. Wunderlin and Hansen (2011) mention that the Aristida stricta in Florida is var. beyrichiana.
Habitat
Aristida stricta is considered a native groundcover in upland pinelands of South Georgia (Ostertag and Robertson 2007).
Phenology
It flowers from September to November (Weakley 2015). Flowers spring to fall (Wunderlin and Hansen 2011).
Seed dispersal
Seed bank and germination
Fire ecology
Pollination
Use by animals
Diseases and parasites
Conservation and Management
Cultivation and restoration
Photo Gallery
References and notes
Ostertag, T.E., and K.M. Robertson. 2007. A comparison of native versus old-field vegetation in upland pinelands managed with frequent fire, South Georgia, USA. Pages 109–120 in R.E. Masters and K.E.M. Galley (eds.). Proceedings of the 23rd Tall Timbers Fire Ecology Conference: Fire in Grassland and Shrubland Ecosystems.
Weakley, Alan S. Flora of the Southern and Mid-Atlantic States: Working Draft of 21 May 2015. University of North Carolina Herbarium (NCU). PDF. 358; 360.
Wunderlin, Richard P. and Bruce F. Hansen. Guide to the Vascular Plants of Florida. Third edition. 2011. University Press of Florida: Gainesville/Tallahassee/Tampa/Boca Raton/Pensacola/Orlando/Miami/Jacksonville/Ft. Myers. 178. Print.
