Distichlis spicata (L.) Greene

English: Seashore saltgrass

Kingdom: Plantae (2715)

  Phylum: Tracheophyta (2630)

    Class: Liliopsida (397)

      Order: Cyperales (91)

        Family: Poaceae (73)(family description)

          Genus: Distichlis (1)

            Epithet: spicata (L.) Greene (2)

Synonyms: Agropyron peruvianum (Lam.) Roem. & Schult., Brachypodium peruvianum (Lam.) Roem. & Schult. ex Kunth, Brizopyrum boreale J.Presl, Brizopyrum ovatum Nees ex Steud., Brizopyrum prostratum (Kunth) Benth. ex E.Fourn., Brizopyrum spicatum (L.) Hook. & Arn., Brizopyrum thalassicum (Kunth) Nees, Distichlis araucana Phil., Distichlis dentata Rydb., Distichlis deserticola Phil., Distichlis hirsuta Phil., Distichlis hirta Phil., Distichlis marginata Phil., Distichlis mendocina Phil., Distichlis prostrata (Kunth) É.Desv., Distichlis stricta (Torr.) Rydb., Distichlis tenuifolia Phil., Distichlis thalassica É.Desv., Distichlis viridis Phil., Festuca distichophylla Michx., Festuca triticoides Lam., Megastachya prostrata (Kunth) Roem. & Schult., Megastachya thalassica (Kunth) Roem. & Schult., Poa borealis (J.Presl) Kunth, Poa michauxii Kunth, Poa prostrata Kunth, Poa thalassica Kunth, Triticum peruvianum Lam., Uniola flexuosa Buckley, Uniola multiflora Nutt., Uniola prostrata (Kunth) Trin., Uniola spicata L., Uniola stricta Torr., Uniola thalassica (Kunth) Trin.

araucana => reference to Arauco province (Chile)

boreale => northern

dentata => toothed like saw teeth

flexuosa => bent alternately to right and left, like the path of a snake

hirsuta => having long distinct hairs, rough, hairy

hirta => with short or fairly stiff hairs, hairy but shorter than hirsute

marginata => marginate, having a margin

michauxii => in honor of French Botanist Andre' Michaux (1746-1802)

multiflora => many-flowered

ovatum => oval, egg-shaped; elliptic, but broader at the base

peruvianum => from Peru

prostrata => lying flat on the ground

spicata => spike-like, or disposed on a spike

spicatum => spike-like, or disposed on a spike

stricta => drawn together, stiff, upright

tenuifolia => slender-leaved, fine-leaved

viridis => green in color

Climate: sub-tropical

Habitat: mesophytic

Habit: herb

Flower colour: green, purple

Check for Distichlis spicata at

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• [1278] Distichlis spicata - GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora