Abstract

NIETO-SILVA, Gabriela del Rocío et al. Taxonomy and distribution of the genus Spartina (Poaceae) in Mexico. Bot. sci [online]. 2015, vol.93, n.4, pp.829-843. ISSN 2007-4476.  https://doi.org/10.17129/botsci.85.

Spartina is a distinctive grass genus because of its processes of dispersal, survival and evolution. It grows in ecosystems of tidal marshes, mudflats and saline basins. The genus is distributed mainly along the entire Atlantic coast, on the Pacific coast only in Baja California, Sinaloa and Oaxaca, and in inland areas of Coahuila and San Luis Potosi. All species are polyploid with a great capacity for hybridization. Frequently species of Spartina have been used in restoration of areas with soil loss; however in many cases they have become invasive weeds. To date, there has not been carried out an exclusive and comprehensive study of this genus in Mexico. The aim of this project was to determine the number of species of Spartina and their distribution in the country. Based on bibliographic and herbarium voucher information, field explorations were carried out in all Mexican localities where Spartina had been reported. Four out of the six species reported for Mexico were found: S. alterniflora, S. foliosa, S. patens, and S. spartinae, the latter being the most widely distributed. Reports of S. gracilis in Jalisco and S. cynosuroides in Chihuahua were noted; however, these species were not located in field explorations nor in herbarium collections. There is no evidence of any introduced species.

Keywords : Chloridoide; Poaceae; saline soils; Spartina alterniflora; Spartina spartinae.

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