Print Report

CEGL007889 Sagittaria lancifolia Mississippi River Deltaic Plain Tidal Marsh

Type Concept Sentence: No Data Available

Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Bull-tongue Arrowhead Mississippi River Deltaic Plain Tidal Marsh

Colloquial Name: Mississippi River Deltaic Plain Arrowhead Intermediate Marsh

Hierarchy Level:  Association

Type Concept: This is a common intermediate marsh type of the Deltaic Plain of coastal Louisiana. It is strongly dominated by Sagittaria lancifolia, but numerous other species are present. Species richness in this marsh type is moderate. Additional common species include Vigna luteola, Polygonum spp., Ipomoea sagittata, Eleocharis spp., Spartina patens, Ludwigia spp., Typha spp., Echinochloa spp., Cyperaceae, Schoenoplectus americanus, Baccharis halimifolia, Leersia spp., Amaranthus australis, and others. This type may be distinguished from Fresh Bulltongue Marsh of the Deltaic Plain by the typical presence of Bacopa monnieri, absence of Thelypteris palustris, Osmunda regalis, Morella cerifera, and Hydrocotyle spp., and slightly higher species richness.

Diagnostic Characteristics: No Data Available

Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available

Classification Comments: Visser et al. (1998) described two vegetation types dominated by Sagittaria lancifolia in the marshes of the Mississippi River delta: Fresh Bulltongue Marsh of the Deltaic Plain (CEGL00007894) and Oligohaline Mix (CEGL007889). Fresh Bulltongue Marsh of the Deltaic Plain is reported as distinguished from Oligohaline Mix by the typical absence of Bacopa monnieri, presence of Thelypteris palustris, Osmunda regalis, Morella cerifera, and Hydrocotyle spp., and slightly lower species richness (Visser et al. 1998). Both communities were first described by Visser et al. (1998) based on their analysis of marsh data collected in 1968 in coastal Louisiana. This vegetation was not recorded for the Chenier Plain of Louisiana and is therefore thought to be unlikely in Texas. Nolfo-Clements (2006) identified a Sagittaria lancifolia association as the most common "thick-mat" community at Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve. A frequent codominant is Leersia hexandra, and common associates include Alternanthera philoxeroides, Hydrocotyle spp., Polygonum punctatum, Phyla lanceolata, Eleocharis fallax, Eleocharis cellulosa, Eleocharis montana, plus occasional patches of Juncus spp., Schoenoplectus californicus, and Schoenoplectus tabernaemontani. Species observed in the fall include Andropogon glomeratus, Echinochloa crus-galli, Echinochloa walteri, Panicum spp., Paspalum minus, Paspalum urvillei, Sacciolepis striata, Setaria spp., Symphyotrichum subulatum, Conoclinium coelestinum, Cirsium horridulum, Eupatorium capillifolium, Iva annua, Pluchea odorata, Sesbania spp., and Ludwigia spp. Species observed in the spring and early summer include Kosteletzkya virginica, Hibiscus lasiocarpos, Iris giganticaerulea, and Hymenocallis occidentalis. More information is needed to better separate the fresh to oligohaline marshes along the coast of Louisiana into associations. This vegetation may be floating and non-floating and share many species [see Similar Associations]. These marshes appear to undergo seasonal shifts in vegetation composition. In addition, subsidence, sea-level rise, and hydrologic changes are likely causing shifts in species composition, adding to the difficulty in classifying this vegetation.

Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: No Data Available

Floristics: Stands of this association are strongly dominated by Sagittaria lancifolia, but numerous other species are present. Additional common species include Vigna luteola, Polygonum spp., Ipomoea sagittata, Eleocharis macrostachya, Spartina patens, Ludwigia spp., Typha spp., Echinochloa spp., Cyperaceae, Schoenoplectus americanus (= Scirpus americanus), Baccharis halimifolia, Leersia spp., Amaranthus australis, and others. Visser et al. (1998) report this type is strongly dominated by Sagittaria lancifolia in the spring, but in the fall, Sagittaria lancifolia co-occurs with Bacopa monnieri and Cyperus spp. This type may be distinguished from Fresh Bulltongue Marsh of the Deltaic Plain by the typical presence of Bacopa monnieri, absence of Thelypteris palustris, Osmunda regalis, Morella cerifera, and Hydrocotyle spp., and slightly higher species richness (Visser et al. 1998).

Dynamics:  No Data Available
Environmental Description:  This community may be found interspersed with other fresh to oligohaline marshes along the coast of Louisiana.
Geographic Range: This community is an intermediate marsh type of the Deltaic Plain of coastal Louisiana.

Nations: US

States/Provinces:  LA


Confidence Level: Low

Confidence Level Comments: No Data Available
Grank: G3G4

Greasons: No Data Available
Type Name Database Code Classification Code
Class 2 Shrub & Herb Vegetation Class C02 2
Subclass 2.C Shrub & Herb Wetland Subclass S44 2.C
Formation 2.C.4 Temperate to Polar Freshwater Marsh, Wet Meadow & Shrubland Formation F013 2.C.4
Division 2.C.4.Ne Atlantic & Gulf Coastal Marsh, Wet Meadow & Shrubland Division D322 2.C.4.Ne
Macrogroup 2.C.4.Ne.1 Annual Wild Rice - Saltmeadow Cordgrass - Pickerelweed Fresh-Oligohaline Tidal Marsh Macrogroup M066 2.C.4.Ne.1
Group 2.C.4.Ne.1.b <i>Zizaniopsis milacea - Spartina patens - Panicum hemotimon</i> Freshwater Tidal Marsh Group G913 2.C.4.Ne.1.b
Alliance A1987 Bull-tongue Arrowhead Gulf Coast Tidal Freshwater Marsh Alliance A1987 2.C.4.Ne.1.b
Association CEGL007889 Bull-tongue Arrowhead Mississippi River Deltaic Plain Tidal Marsh CEGL007889 2.C.4.Ne.1.b
Concept Lineage: No Data Available

Predecessors: No Data Available

Obsolete Names: No Data Available

Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: ? Sagittaria lancifolia Association (Nolfo-Clements 2006)
? Oligohaline Bulltongue Marsh (Visser and Sasser 1998)
= Oligohaline Mix (Visser et al. 1998)
Concept Author(s): L.M. Smith

Author of Description: L.M. Smith and J. Teague

Acknowledgements: No Data Available

Version Date: 10-06-15
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