Spartina

Key takeaways

Spartina belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Spartina to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Spartina from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Spartina is a section of the genus Sporobolus, plants in the grass family, frequently found in coastal salt marshes. It was first established as a separate genus in 1789, and reduced to a section in 2014. Species are commonly known as cordgrass or cord-grass, and are native to the coasts of the Atlantic Ocean in western and southern Europe, north-western and southern Africa, the Americas and the islands of the southern Atlantic Ocean; one or two species also occur on the western coast of North America and in freshwater habitats inland in the Americas. The highest species diversity is on the east coasts of North and South America, particularly Florida. They form large, often dense colonies, particularly on coastal salt marshes, and grow quickly. The species vary in size from 0.3–2 m tall. Many of the species will produce hybrids if they come into contact.

Taxonomy In 2014, the taxon Spartina was subsumed into the genus Sporobolus and reassigned to the taxonomic status of section, but it may still be possible to see Spartina referred to as an accepted genus. In 2019, an interdisciplinary team of experts from all continents (except for Antarctica) coauthored a report published in the journal Ecology supporting Spartina as a genus. The section name Spartina is derived from σπαρτίνη (spartínē), the Greek word for a cord made from Spanish broom (Spartium junceum).

Species The following species are recognised in the section Spartina:

Subsection Alterniflori P.M.Peterson & Saarela Sporobolus alterniflorus (Loisel.) P.M.Peterson & Saarela – smooth cordgrass – Atlantic coasts of North and South America, West Indies Sporobolus anglicus (C.E.Hubb.) P.M.Peterson & Saarela - Great Britain, introduced to Europe, China, Australia, New Zealand, and North America Sporobolus foliosus (Trin.) P.M.Peterson & Saarela – California cordgrass – California, Baja California, Baja California Sur Sporobolus longispicus (Hauman & Parodi ex St.-Yves) P.M.Peterson & Saarela – Argentina, Uruguay Sporobolus maritimus (Curtis) P.M.Peterson & Saarela - Europe, Africa Sporobolus × townsendii (H.Groves & J.Groves) P.M.Peterson & Saarela (S. alterniflorus × S. maritimus) – Townsend's cordgrass – western Europe Subsection Ponceletia (Thouars) P.M.Peterson & Saarela Sporobolus arundinacea (Thouars) Carmich – Tristan da Cunha, Amsterdam Island in Indian Ocean Sporobolus mobberleyanus P.M.Peterson & Saarela – Tristan da Cunha, Amsterdam Island in Indian Ocean Sporobolus spartinae (Trin.) P.M.Peterson & Saarela – Gulf cordgrass – Atlantic coast of North America from Florida to Argentina, incl the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico Subsection Spartina (Schreb) P.M.Peterson & Saarela Sporobolus bakeri (Merr.) P.M.Peterson & Saarela – sand cordgrass – south-eastern US Sporobolus coarctatus (Trin.) P.M.Peterson & Saarela – Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay Sporobolus cynosuroides (L.) P.M.Peterson & Saarela – big cordgrass – eastern US (TX to MA); Bahamas Sporobolus × eatonianus P.M.Peterson & Saarela – eastern North America Sporobolus hookerianus P.M.Peterson & Saarela – alkali cordgrass – western Canada, western + central US, Chihuahua, Jalisco, Michoacán Sporobolus michauxianus (Hitchc.) P.M.Peterson & Saarela – prairie cordgrass – from Northwest Territories to Texas and Newfoundland Sporobolus montevidensis (Arechav.) P.M.Peterson & Saarela – denseflower cordgrass – Venezuela, Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Chile Sporobolus pumilus (Roth) P.M.Peterson & Saarela – saltmeadow cordgrass – east coast of North America from Labrador to Tamaulipas; West Indies Sporobolus versicolor (E.Fabre) P.M.Peterson & Saarela – Mediterranean, Azores

Ecology Species of the section Spartina are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including the Aaron's skipper, which feeds exclusively on smooth cordgrass, and the engrailed moth. Some species of the section Spartina are considered as ecosystem engineers that can strongly influence the physical and biological environment. This is particularly important in areas where invasive Spartina species significantly alter their new environment, with impacts to native plants and animals.

As an invasive species Three of the species placed in Spartina have become invasive plants in some countries. In British Columbia, Sporobolus anglica, also known as English cordgrass, is an aggressive, aquatic alien that invades mud flats, salt marshes and beaches, out-competing native plants, spreading quickly over mud flats and leaving large Spartina meadows. It is also invasive in China and California. Sporobolus montevidensis and Sporobolus pumilus have become invasive on the Iberian Peninsula and the west coast of the United States Sporobolus alterniflorus and its hybrids with other Spartina species are invasive in numerous locations around the globe, including China, California, England, France, and Spain.

Cultivation Species of the section Spartina have been planted to reclaim estuarine areas for farming, to supply fodder for livestock, and to prevent erosion. Various members of the genus (especially Sporobolus alterniflorus and its derivatives, Sporobolus anglicus and Sporobolus × townsendii) have spread outside of their native boundaries and become invasive. Big cordgrass (S. cynosuroides) is used in the construction of bull's eye targets for sports archery. A properly constructed target can stop an arrow safely without damage to the arrowhead as it lodges in the target.

References

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Spartina

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Spartina claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Spartina before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Spartina ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Spartina

In research: Spartina appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Spartina in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Spartina is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Grasses of Africa, Grasses of Europe, Grasses of North America, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Spartina outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

How to study Spartina in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Spartina means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Spartina out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Spartina in simple terms?

Spartina is a section of the genus Sporobolus, plants in the grass family, frequently found in coastal salt marshes. It was first established as a separate genus in 1789, and reduced to a section in 2014.

Why does Spartina matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Spartina?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Spartina.