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CEGL007821 Schizachyrium littorale - Paspalum plicatulum Texas Sand Sheet Grassland
Type Concept Sentence: No Data Available
Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Shore Little Bluestem - Brownseed Crowngrass Texas Sand Sheet Grassland
Colloquial Name: No Data Available
Hierarchy Level: Association
Type Concept: This is the predominant grassland of the South Texas Sand Sheet of interior southern Texas. In addition to Schizachyrium littorale and Paspalum plicatulum, common herbaceous components include Paspalum monostachyum, Sorghastrum nutans, Panicum virgatum, Eragrostis spp., Acalypha radians, Argythamnia mercurialina var. pilosissima, Chamaecrista flexuosa var. texana, Cnidoscolus texanus, Croton argyranthemus, Dalea phleoides, Froelichia floridana, Galactia canescens, Gaura mckelveyae, Helianthemum georgianum, Monarda fruticulosa, Phlox cuspidata, Rhynchosia americana, Stillingia sylvatica, and Thelesperma nuecense. These grasslands occur intermixed with ~Quercus fusiformis - Prosopis glandulosa var. glandulosa / Malvaviscus arboreus var. drummondii Forest (CEGL007785)$$. The name and description of this community type will be expanded.
Diagnostic Characteristics: No Data Available
Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available
Classification Comments: This vegetation is restricted to the South Texas Sand Sheet which is included conceptually in the Tamaulipan Thornscrub Ecoregion, but theoretically some of this vegetation my occur in near-coast areas of Kenedy County in the Gulf Coast Prairies and Marshes Ecoregion. The grasslands of the Sand Sheet and Silt Sheet of south Texas are not included in the "coastal prairie" as defined by Smeins et al. (1992) and Diamond and Fulbright (1990) though they are closely related. They appear most closely related to ~Schizachyrium scoparium - Triplasis purpurea - Eriogonum multiflorum - Liatris elegans var. carizzana Grassland (CEGL008483)$$ occurring on deep sandy ridges along the San Bernard and possibly other rivers as they flow through the Lissie Formation in the Upper Coastal Prairie; and are also similar to ~Schizachyrium littorale - Paspalum monostachyum Grassland (CEGL002207)$$ occurring on the Ingleside barrier-strandplain in the Coastal Bend of Texas. All of these communities occur over deep sandy strata. These communities share many taxa, but each seems to have a suite of unique species not found in the others. More information is needed to fully describe these differences. The taxonomy of the nominal species of Schizachyrium is in question for some occurrences.
Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: No Data Available
Floristics: In addition to Schizachyrium littorale and Paspalum plicatulum, common herbaceous components include Paspalum monostachyum, Sorghastrum nutans, Panicum virgatum, Eragrostis spp., Acalypha radians, Argythamnia mercurialina var. pilosissima, Chamaecrista flexuosa var. texana, Cnidoscolus texanus, Croton argyranthemus, Dalea phleoides, Froelichia floridana, Galactia canescens, Gaura mckelveyae, Helianthemum georgianum, Monarda fruticulosa (= Monarda punctata var. fruticulosa), Phlox cuspidata, Rhynchosia americana, Stillingia sylvatica, and Thelesperma nuecense.
Dynamics: No Data Available
Environmental Description: This community occurs on the ridge-and-swale topography on eolian sands of the South Texas Sand Sheet. While the vegetation of the ridges and the swales is somewhat distinct, they are not separated here. In general, ridges are dominated by Schizachyrium littorale and a mixture of forbs, and swales are dominated by Paspalum monostachyum, Andropogon gerardii, Muhlenbergia capillaris, and Sorghastrum nutans. Paspalum plicatulum may be important in both environments.
Geographic Range: This association is naturally restricted to the hummocky surface of an extensive Holocene sand sheet in southern Texas.
Nations: US
States/Provinces: TX
Plot Analysis Summary:
http://vegbank.org/natureserve/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.683497
Confidence Level: Low - Poorly Documented
Confidence Level Comments: No Data Available
Grank: GNR
Greasons: No Data Available
| Type | Name | Database Code | Classification Code |
|---|---|---|---|
| Class | 2 Shrub & Herb Vegetation Class | C02 | 2 |
| Subclass | 2.B Temperate & Boreal Grassland & Shrubland Subclass | S18 | 2.B |
| Formation | 2.B.4 Temperate to Polar Scrub & Herb Coastal Vegetation Formation | F005 | 2.B.4 |
| Division | 2.B.4.Na Eastern North American Coastal Scrub & Herb Vegetation Division | D026 | 2.B.4.Na |
| Macrogroup | 2.B.4.Na.2 American Beachgrass - Sea-oats - Seaside Goldenrod Dune & Grassland Macrogroup | M057 | 2.B.4.Na.2 |
| Group | 2.B.4.Na.2.a Wax-myrtle - Sea-oats - Shore Little Bluestem Dune & Grassland Group | G494 | 2.B.4.Na.2.a |
| Alliance | A1200 Shore Little Bluestem - Gulfdune Crowngrass - Bitter Panicgrass Texas Coastal Grassland Alliance | A1200 | 2.B.4.Na.2.a |
| Association | CEGL007821 Shore Little Bluestem - Brownseed Crowngrass Texas Sand Sheet Grassland | CEGL007821 | 2.B.4.Na.2.a |
Concept Lineage: No Data Available
Predecessors: No Data Available
Obsolete Names: No Data Available
Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: No Data Available
- Diamond, D. D., and T. E. Fulbright. 1990. Contemporary plant communities of upland grasslands of the Coastal Sand Plain, Texas. The Southwestern Naturalist 35(4):385-392.
- Johnston, M. C. 1963. Past and present grasslands of southern Texas and northeastern Mexico. Ecology 44:456-464.
- Smeins, F. E., D. D. Diamond, and C. W. Hanselka. 1992. Coastal Prairie. Pages 269-290 in: R. T. Coupland, editor. Natural Grasslands. Elsevier, New York.
- Southeastern Ecology Working Group of NatureServe. No date. International Ecological Classification Standard: International Vegetation Classification. Terrestrial Vegetation. NatureServe, Durham, NC.