Salt-meadow Grass. Summary. Protection Endangered in New York State, not listed federally.

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1 Salt-meadow Grass Leptochloa fusca ssp. fascicularis Scientific Name Family Name Diplachne fusca ssp. fascicularis (Lam.) P.M. Peterson & N. Snow Poaceae Grass Family Did you know? This grass was formally put in the genus Diplachne (as Diplachne maritima, first described from Nantucket [Bicknell 1968]) but it was shown that the fruit characters that separated it from Leptochloa were not consistent (Snow 1998). The common name sprangletop comes from the word sprangle, meaning going in all directions, and refers to the orientation of the flowering branches in this genus. Photo credits: Emmet J. Judziewicz Summary Protection Endangered in New York State, not listed federally. This level of state protection means: listed species are those with: 1) 5 or fewer extant sites, or 2) fewer than 1,000 individuals, or 3) restricted to fewer than 4 U.S.G.S. 7 ½ minute topographical maps, or 4) species listed as endangered by U.S. Department of Interior. Rarity G5T5, S1 A global rarity rank of G5T5 means: Secure globally - Both the species as a whole and the subspecies/variety are common in the world; widespread and abundant (but may be rare in some parts of its range). A state rarity rank of S1 means: This plant is endangered/critically imperiled in New York because of extreme rarity (typically 5 or fewer populations or very few remaining individuals) or is extremely vulnerable to extirpation from New York due to biological factors. NYNHP Conservation Guide - Salt-meadow Grass (Diplachne fusca ssp. fascicularis)

2 Conservation Status in New York There are six existing populations but only one of them is large, with over 10,000 plants. Thirteen populations were documented from the late 1800s to the mid-1960s but three of these no longer exist because their habitat has been destroyed. The others still need to be resurveyed to see if they exist. Short-term Trends It may be losing ground to Phragmites. Long-term Trends Long-term trends are apparently negative, with some populations lost to wetland destruction and the ongoing threat of Phragmites incursion into most current populations. Conservation and Management Threats Populations are threatened by expansion of the invasive plants Phragmites and purple loosestrife. Some populations may be threatened by trampling. Conservation Strategies and Management Practices Control Phragmites invasions in the salt marshes where it is present and prevent incursions into new areas. Natural buffers should be established around the salt marshes to decrease pollution runoff and other direct human disturbances. Habitat In New York Leptochloa fusca ssp. fascicularis is known exclusively from open, saline or brackish wetlands, including interdunal swales, mudflats, salt ponds, and salt marshes (New York Natural Heritage Program 2011). Brackish sites (Gleason and Cronquist 1991). Brackish soils (Fernald 1970). Associated Ecological Communities Brackish Interdunal Swales Temporarily tidally flooded temperate marshes in interdunal swales dominated by salt-tolerant graminoids. Individual swales occur as small patches positioned between fore-, primary and secondary dunes in a maritime dunes system, typically on barrier islands. Inland Salt Marsh A wetland that occurs on saline mudflats associated with inland salt springs. The mucky substrate is permanently saturated and seasonally flooded. Plant cover is sparse and the number of different kinds of plants is relatively low. Marine Intertidal Mudflats A community of quiet waters, with substrates composed of silt or sand that is rich in organic NYNHP Conservation Guide - Salt-meadow Grass (Diplachne fusca ssp. fascicularis) 2

3 matter and poorly drained at low tide. The substrate may be covered with algae. Other Probable Associated Communities Brackish intertidal mudflats Coastal salt pond Inland salt pond Marine dredge spoil shore Associated Species Creeping Bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera) Seabeach Amaranth (Amaranthus pumilus) Seaside Bulrush (Bolboschoenus maritimus ssp. paludosus) Coast-blite Goosefoot (Chenopodium rubrum) Cyperus spp. Yellowseed False Pimpernel (Lindernia dubia) Birdfoot Deervetch (Lotus corniculatus) Common Reed (Phragmites australis ssp. australis) Identification Comments Salt-meadow Grass is an annual species with prostrate stems up to 110 centimeters long, growing in circular clumps. The leaves are up to 3 millimeters wide, the uppermost ones sometimes longer than the panicles. Its infloresence is a panicle, with spreading branches usually partially enclosed within the tops of the leaf sheaths. The spikelets are 5 to 12 millimeters long. It has lance-shaped lemmas, either sharp-tipped or with an awn up to 3.5 mm long. The seeds are 0.8 to 2 mm long (FNA 2003). Best Life Stage for Identifying This Species This grass is best identified when the plant has mature fruit. The Best Time to See Salt-meadow Grass flowers in early July, with the fruits persisting until the first frost. Flowering Fruiting Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec The time of year you would expect to find Salt-meadow Grass in New York. NYNHP Conservation Guide - Salt-meadow Grass (Diplachne fusca ssp. fascicularis) 3

4 Similar Species Previously three Leptochloa taxa were recognized in New York (Mitchell 1985), separating two non-native subspecies from the native one. Subsequent work has lumped these taxa, and now Leptochloa fusca ssp. fascicularis is considered to be the only member of the genus in New York (NYFA 2010). Taxonomy Kingdom Phylum Plantae Anthophyta Class Monocots (Monocotyledoneae) Order Cyperales Family Poaceae (Grass Family) Additional Common Names Sprangletop Synonyms Diplachne maritima (Bickn.) Leptochloa fascicularis var. maritima ((Bickn.) Gleason) Leptochloa fusca ssp. fascicularis ((Lam.) N. Snow) Additional Resources Links USDA Plants Database DIPLACHNE+MARITIMA NatureServe Explorer A Google Images Best Identification Reference Flora of North America Editorial Committee Flora of North America, North of Mexico. Volume 25. Magnoliophyta: Commelinidae (in part): Poaceae, part 2. Oxford University Press, New York. 783 pp. NYNHP Conservation Guide - Salt-meadow Grass (Diplachne fusca ssp. fascicularis) 4

5 References Fernald, M.L Gray's manual of botany. 8th edition. D. Van Nostrand, New York pp. Gleason, Henry A The New Britton and Brown Illustrated Flora of the Northeastern United States and Canada. Gleason, Henry A. and A. Cronquist Manual of Vascular Plants of Northeastern United States and Adjacent Canada. The New York Botanical Garden, Bronx, New York. 910 pp. Holmgren, Noel The Illustrated Companion to Gleason and Cronquist's Manual. Illustrations of the Vascular Plants of Northeastern United States and Adjacent Canada. The New York Botanical Garden, Bronx, New York. Keys, Jr.,J.; Carpenter, C.; Hooks, S.; Koenig, F.; McNab, W.H.; Russell, W.;Smith, M.L Ecological units of the eastern United States - first approximation (cd-rom), Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service. GIS coverage in ARCINFO format, selected imagery, and map unit tables. Mitchell, Richard S Checklist of New York vascular plants. New York State Museum publication. Albany, NY. Mitchell, Richard S. and Gordon C. Tucker Revised Checklist of New York State Plants. Contributions to a Flora of New York State. Checklist IV. Bulletin No New York State Museum. Albany, NY. 400 pp. NatureServe NatureServe Central Databases. Arlington, Virginia. USA New York Natural Heritage Program Biotics database. New York Natural Heritage Program. New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. Albany, NY. Weldy, T. and D. Werier New York flora atlas. [S.M. Landry, K.N. Campbell, and L.D. Mabe (original application development), Florida Center for Community Design and Research University of South Florida New York Flora Association Albany, New York New York Natural Heritage Program 625 Broadway, 5th Floor, Albany, NY Phone: (518) acris@nynhp.org This project is made possible with funding from: - New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Hudson River Estuary Program - Division of Lands & Forests, Department of Environmental Conservation - New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation Information for this guide was last updated on Aug 22, 2017 This guide was authored by Stephen M. Young NYNHP Conservation Guide - Salt-meadow Grass (Diplachne fusca ssp. fascicularis) 5