Difference between revisions of "Sporobolus floridanus"

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==Description== <!-- Basic life history facts such as annual/perrenial, monoecious/dioecious, root morphology, seed type, etc. -->
 
==Description== <!-- Basic life history facts such as annual/perrenial, monoecious/dioecious, root morphology, seed type, etc. -->
‘’Sporobolus floridanus’’ is a monoecious perennial graminoid. <ref name="USDA">USDA, NRCS. (2016). The PLANTS Database (http://plants.usda.gov, 10 January 2018). National Plant Data Team, Greensboro, NC 27401-4901 USA.</ref>
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‘’Sporobolus floridanus’’ is a monoecious perennial graminoid.<ref name="USDA">USDA, NRCS. (2016). The PLANTS Database (http://plants.usda.gov, 10 January 2018). National Plant Data Team, Greensboro, NC 27401-4901 USA.</ref>
  
 
==Distribution==
 
==Distribution==
It can be found in South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, and Alabama.<ref name="Weakley 2015"/><ref name="USDA"/>
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''Sporobolus floridanus'' is endemic to an area from southern South Carolina to peninsular Florida and west through Alabama, but the majority is found in Florida.<ref>Sorrie, B. A. and A. S. Weakley 2001. Coastal Plain valcular plant endemics: Phytogeographic patterns. Castanea 66: 50-82.</ref> It can be found in South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, and Alabama.<ref name="Weakley 2015"/><ref name="USDA"/>
  
 
==Ecology==
 
==Ecology==
 
===Habitat=== <!--Natural communities, human disturbed habitats, topography, hydrology, soils, light, fire regime requirements for removal of competition, etc.-->
 
===Habitat=== <!--Natural communities, human disturbed habitats, topography, hydrology, soils, light, fire regime requirements for removal of competition, etc.-->
''S. floridanus'' is found in wet savannas,<ref name="Weakley 2015"/>, seepage bogs, and titi/cypress swamps and is abundant in wet pine savannas.<ref name="Drewa et al 2002">Drewa P. B., Platt W. J., and Moser E. B. (2002). Community structure along elevation gradients in headwater regions of longleaf pine savannas. Plant Ecology 160(1):61-78.</ref> In north Florida mesic flatwoods ''S. floridanus'' occurred in 53% of plots with a mean coverage of 0.0613 m<sup>-2</sup> and was the sole herbaceous indicator species this community type.<ref name="Carr et al 2010">Carr S. C., Robertson K. M., and Peet R. K. (2010). A vegetation classification of fire-dependent pinelands of Florida. Castanea 75(2):153-189.</ref>
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''S. floridanus'' has been found in sandy pinelands, pine savannahs, marsh edges, longleaf pine-wiregrass flatwoods, and pine woodlands.<ref name="FSU"> Florida State University Herbarium Database. URL: http://herbarium.bio.fsu.edu. Last accessed: June 2021. Collectors: L.C. Anderson and R.K. Godfrey. States and counties: Florida: Franklin, Gulf, Liberty, Nassau, Wakulla, and Walton.</ref> It is also found in disturbed areas including burned pine flatwoods and powerline corridors.<ref name="FSU"/>
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Associated species: ''Sarracenia, Macbridea, Cuphea, Verbesine chapmanii, Justicia crassifolia, Rhexia, Liatris, Carphephorus, and Helianthus angustifolius, Anthaenantia, Paspalum, Erianthus, Arnoglossum, Eupatorium, and Bigelowia'', and ''Rhynchospora spp''.<ref name="FSU"/>
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''S. floridanus'' is additionally found in wet savannas,<ref name="Weakley 2015"/>, seepage bogs, and titi/cypress swamps and is abundant in wet pine savannas.<ref name="Drewa et al 2002">Drewa P. B., Platt W. J., and Moser E. B. (2002). Community structure along elevation gradients in headwater regions of longleaf pine savannas. Plant Ecology 160(1):61-78.</ref> In north Florida mesic flatwoods ''S. floridanus'' occurred in 53% of plots with a mean coverage of 0.0613 m<sup>-2</sup> and was the sole herbaceous indicator species this community type.<ref name="Carr et al 2010">Carr S. C., Robertson K. M., and Peet R. K. (2010). A vegetation classification of fire-dependent pinelands of Florida. Castanea 75(2):153-189.</ref>
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''Sporobolus floridanus'' is an indicator species for the North Florida Mesic Flatwoods community type as described in Carr et al. (2010).<ref>Carr, S.C., K.M. Robertson, and R.K. Peet. 2010. A vegetation classification of fire-dependent pinelands of Florida. Castanea 75:153-189.</ref>
  
 
===Phenology=== <!--Timing off flowering, fruiting, seed dispersal, and environmental triggers.  Cite PanFlora website if appropriate: http://www.gilnelson.com/PanFlora/ -->
 
===Phenology=== <!--Timing off flowering, fruiting, seed dispersal, and environmental triggers.  Cite PanFlora website if appropriate: http://www.gilnelson.com/PanFlora/ -->
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===Seed dispersal===
 
===Seed dispersal===
This species is thought to be dispersed by gravity. <ref> Kirkman, L. Katherine. Unpublished database of seed dispersal mode of plants found in Coastal Plain longleaf pine-grasslands of the Jones Ecological Research Center, Georgia.</ref>
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This species is thought to be dispersed by gravity.<ref> Kirkman, L. Katherine. Unpublished database of seed dispersal mode of plants found in Coastal Plain longleaf pine-grasslands of the Jones Ecological Research Center, Georgia.</ref>
 
<!--===Seed bank and germination===-->
 
<!--===Seed bank and germination===-->
  
 
===Fire ecology=== <!--Fire tolerance, fire dependence, adaptive fire responses-->
 
===Fire ecology=== <!--Fire tolerance, fire dependence, adaptive fire responses-->
In Georgia, the percent cover of ''S. floridanus'' increased from 0.4% after one growing season following a burn to 1.0% after 8 growing seasons.<ref name="Lemon 1949">Lemon P. C. (1949). Successional responses of herbs in the longleaf-slash pine forest after fire. Ecology 30(2):135-145.</ref>
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In Georgia, the percent cover of ''S. floridanus'' increased from 0.4% after one growing season following a burn to 1.0% after 8 growing seasons.<ref name="Lemon 1949">Lemon P. C. (1949). Successional responses of herbs in the longleaf-slash pine forest after fire. Ecology 30(2):135-145.</ref> Populations of ''Sporobolus floridanus'' have been known to persist through repeated annual burns.<ref>Robertson, K.M. Unpublished data collected from Pebble Hill Fire Plots, Pebble Hill Plantation, Thomasville, Georgia.</ref><ref>Platt, W.J., R. Carter, G. Nelson, W. Baker, S. Hermann, J. Kane, L. Anderson, M. Smith, K. Robertson. 2021. Unpublished species list of Wade Tract old-growth longleaf pine savanna, Thomasville, Georgia.</ref>
 
<!--===Pollination===-->  
 
<!--===Pollination===-->  
<!--===Use by animals===--> <!--Herbivory, granivory, insect hosting, etc.-->
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<!--===Herbivory and toxicology===<!--Common herbivores, granivory, insect hosting, poisonous chemicals, allelopathy, etc-->
<!--==Diseases and parasites==-->
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<!--===Diseases and parasites===-->
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==Conservation, cultivation, and restoration==
  
==Conservation and Management==
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==Cultural use==
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In the past, native peoples would harvest the tiny husk-less grains and grind them into a flour.<ref> Fernald, et al. 1958. Edible Plants of Eastern North America. Harper and Row Publishers, New York.</ref>
  
==Cultivation and restoration==
 
 
==Photo Gallery==
 
==Photo Gallery==
 
<gallery widths=180px>
 
<gallery widths=180px>
 
</gallery>
 
</gallery>
 
==References and notes==
 
==References and notes==

Latest revision as of 14:01, 15 July 2022

Sporobolus floridanus
Sporobolus floridanus DL.jpg
Photo by Bobby Hattaway hosted at Discoverlife.org
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Magnoliophyta - Flowering plants
Class: Liliopsida - Moncots
Order: Poales
Family: Poaceae
Genus: Sporobolus
Species: S. floridanus
Binomial name
Sporobolus floridanus
Chapm.
SPOR FLOR DIST.JPG
Natural range of Sporobolus floridanus from USDA NRCS Plants Database.

Common Name(s): Florida dropseed[1]

Taxonomic Notes

Description

‘’Sporobolus floridanus’’ is a monoecious perennial graminoid.[2]

Distribution

Sporobolus floridanus is endemic to an area from southern South Carolina to peninsular Florida and west through Alabama, but the majority is found in Florida.[3] It can be found in South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, and Alabama.[1][2]

Ecology

Habitat

S. floridanus has been found in sandy pinelands, pine savannahs, marsh edges, longleaf pine-wiregrass flatwoods, and pine woodlands.[4] It is also found in disturbed areas including burned pine flatwoods and powerline corridors.[4]

Associated species: Sarracenia, Macbridea, Cuphea, Verbesine chapmanii, Justicia crassifolia, Rhexia, Liatris, Carphephorus, and Helianthus angustifolius, Anthaenantia, Paspalum, Erianthus, Arnoglossum, Eupatorium, and Bigelowia, and Rhynchospora spp.[4]

S. floridanus is additionally found in wet savannas,[1], seepage bogs, and titi/cypress swamps and is abundant in wet pine savannas.[5] In north Florida mesic flatwoods S. floridanus occurred in 53% of plots with a mean coverage of 0.0613 m-2 and was the sole herbaceous indicator species this community type.[6]

Sporobolus floridanus is an indicator species for the North Florida Mesic Flatwoods community type as described in Carr et al. (2010).[7]

Phenology

S. floridanus has been observed to flower from June through September.[1][8]

Seed dispersal

This species is thought to be dispersed by gravity.[9]

Fire ecology

In Georgia, the percent cover of S. floridanus increased from 0.4% after one growing season following a burn to 1.0% after 8 growing seasons.[10] Populations of Sporobolus floridanus have been known to persist through repeated annual burns.[11][12]

Conservation, cultivation, and restoration

Cultural use

In the past, native peoples would harvest the tiny husk-less grains and grind them into a flour.[13]

Photo Gallery

References and notes

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Weakley A. S.(2015). Flora of the Southern and Mid-Atlantic States. Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Herbarium.
  2. 2.0 2.1 USDA, NRCS. (2016). The PLANTS Database (http://plants.usda.gov, 10 January 2018). National Plant Data Team, Greensboro, NC 27401-4901 USA.
  3. Sorrie, B. A. and A. S. Weakley 2001. Coastal Plain valcular plant endemics: Phytogeographic patterns. Castanea 66: 50-82.
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 Florida State University Herbarium Database. URL: http://herbarium.bio.fsu.edu. Last accessed: June 2021. Collectors: L.C. Anderson and R.K. Godfrey. States and counties: Florida: Franklin, Gulf, Liberty, Nassau, Wakulla, and Walton.
  5. Drewa P. B., Platt W. J., and Moser E. B. (2002). Community structure along elevation gradients in headwater regions of longleaf pine savannas. Plant Ecology 160(1):61-78.
  6. Carr S. C., Robertson K. M., and Peet R. K. (2010). A vegetation classification of fire-dependent pinelands of Florida. Castanea 75(2):153-189.
  7. Carr, S.C., K.M. Robertson, and R.K. Peet. 2010. A vegetation classification of fire-dependent pinelands of Florida. Castanea 75:153-189.
  8. Nelson, G. PanFlora: Plant data for the eastern United States with emphasis on the Southeastern Coastal Plains, Florida, and the Florida Panhandle. www.gilnelson.com/PanFlora/ Accessed: 10 JAN 2018
  9. Kirkman, L. Katherine. Unpublished database of seed dispersal mode of plants found in Coastal Plain longleaf pine-grasslands of the Jones Ecological Research Center, Georgia.
  10. Lemon P. C. (1949). Successional responses of herbs in the longleaf-slash pine forest after fire. Ecology 30(2):135-145.
  11. Robertson, K.M. Unpublished data collected from Pebble Hill Fire Plots, Pebble Hill Plantation, Thomasville, Georgia.
  12. Platt, W.J., R. Carter, G. Nelson, W. Baker, S. Hermann, J. Kane, L. Anderson, M. Smith, K. Robertson. 2021. Unpublished species list of Wade Tract old-growth longleaf pine savanna, Thomasville, Georgia.
  13. Fernald, et al. 1958. Edible Plants of Eastern North America. Harper and Row Publishers, New York.