Print Report

A3413 Arthraxon hispidus - Cyperus entrerianus - Pennisetum purpureum Ruderal Marsh Alliance

Type Concept Sentence: These southern marshes are dominated by exotic plants, such as the exotic grasses Pennisetum purpureum or southern stands of the exotic Phragmites australis ssp. australis which are invasive in floodplains and marshes.

Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Small Carpgrass - Woodrush Flatsedge - Elephant Grass Ruderal Marsh Alliance

Colloquial Name: Southern Exotic Ruderal Graminoid Marsh

Hierarchy Level:  Alliance

Type Concept: These southern marshes are dominated by exotic graminoid plants, such as Arthraxon hispidus, Arundo donax, Cyperus sanguinolentus, Cyperus entrerianus, Eleusine indica, Microstegium vimineum, Oxycaryum cubense, Panicum repens, Paspalum urvillei, Pennisetum purpureum, or exotic Phragmites australis ssp. australis (chloroplast DNA haplotype M). Pennisetum purpureum is invasive in floodplain marshes in the Florida Peninsula.

Diagnostic Characteristics: Southern marshes dominated by exotic graminoid plants.

Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available

Classification Comments: Included here is vegetation of exotic graminoid species. The identity and range of the exotic Phragmites australis ssp. australis (chloroplast DNA haplotype M) and the related native taxa need better documentation in the IVC; its distribution is not primarily in the southeastern U.S. region, but has been documented on the Atlantic Coast as far south as South Carolina and disjunct in Louisiana (Saltonstall 2002, Ward 2010). Pennisetum purpureum is invasive in floodplain marshes in the Florida Peninsula.

Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: These graminoid wetlands are open but may have scattered trees, such as abandoned farmland, old pastures, cutover bottomland forests, and other disturbed areas. Once established, this can be a long-persistent vegetation type, due to the competitive abilities of these invasive exotic graminoid plants.

Floristics: These southern marshes are dominated by exotic graminoid plants, such as Arthraxon hispidus, Arundo donax, Cyperus sanguinolentus (= Cyperus sanguindentus), Cyperus entrerianus, Eleusine indica (Carter and Bryson 1996, Rosen et al. 2006), Microstegium vimineum, Oxycaryum cubense, Panicum repens, Paspalum urvillei, Pennisetum purpureum, or exotic Phragmites australis ssp. australis (chloroplast DNA haplotype M) (Saltonstall 2002, Saltonstall et al. 2004, Lelong et al. 2007, Ward 2010, Lambertini et al. 2012). Pennisetum purpureum is invasive in floodplain marshes in the Florida Peninsula.

Dynamics:  These are wetland sites dominated by exotic graminoids. They are prone to flooding from rivers or in coastal areas from storm surge and heavy rains. Some of these exotic plants are rapidly spreading in disturbed coastal, floodplain, and wetland areas, excluding native vegetation.
Environmental Description:  These communities occur along floodplains and in disturbed wetland and coastal situations, including cutover areas, open fields which are not cultivated, and on dredge spoil such as occurs along the Intracoastal Waterway.
Geographic Range: This alliance is found on the Southeastern Coastal Plain from Delaware to Florida and west to Texas, as well as in Puerto Rico, Cuba, and the West Indies.

Nations: US

States/Provinces:  AL, DE, FL, LA, MD, MS, NC, SC, TX, VA


Confidence Level: Low

Confidence Level Comments: No Data Available
Grank: GNA

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.Nd Eastern North American Temperate Freshwater Marsh, Wet Meadow & Shrubland Division D323 2.C.4.Nd
Macrogroup 2.C.4.Nd.90 Common Rush - Purple Loosestrife - Reed Canarygrass Eastern North American Ruderal Marsh, Wet Meadow & Shrubland Macrogroup M303 2.C.4.Nd.90
Group 2.C.4.Nd.90.a Bushy Bluestem - Common Rush Ruderal Marsh, Wet Meadow & Shrubland Group G557 2.C.4.Nd.90.a
Alliance A3413 Small Carpgrass - Woodrush Flatsedge - Elephant Grass Ruderal Marsh Alliance A3413 2.C.4.Nd.90.a
Association CEGL004019 European Common Reed Temperate Upland Ruderal Marsh CEGL004019 2.C.4.Nd.90.a
Concept Lineage: A.1130, A.1196.

Predecessors: No Data Available

Obsolete Names: No Data Available

Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: No Data Available
Concept Author(s): C. Nordman, in Faber-Langendoen et al. (2013)

Author of Description: C.W. Nordman

Acknowledgements: No Data Available

Version Date: 02-17-16
  • Alexander, T. R., and A. G. Crook. 1984. Recent vegetational changes in southern Florida. Pages 199-210 in: P. J. Gleason, editor. Environments of South Florida: Present and past II. Miami Geologic Society, Memorandum No. 2. Coral Gables, FL.
  • Borhidi, A. 1991. Phytogeography and vegetation ecology of Cuba. Akademiai Kiado. Budapest, Hungary. 858 pp. plus color plates and map by A. Borhidi and O. Muniz (1970) inside of back cover.
  • Carter, R., and C. T. Bryson. 1996. Cyperus entrerianus: A little known aggressive sedge in the southeastern United States. Weed Technology 10:232-235.
  • Faber-Langendoen, D., J. Drake, M. Hall, G. Kittel, S. Menard, C. Nordman, M. Pyne, M. Reid, M. Russo, K. Schulz, L. Sneddon, K. Snow, and J. Teague. 2013-2019b. Screening alliances for induction into the U.S. National Vegetation Classification: Part 1 - Alliance concept review. NatureServe, Arlington, VA.
  • Lambertini, C., I. Mendelsshon, M. G. H. Gustafsson, B. Olesen, T. Riis, B. K. Sorrell, and H. Brix. 2012. Tracing the origin of Gulf Coast Phragmites (Poaceae): A story of long distance dispersal and hybridization. American Journal of Botany 99:538-551.
  • Lelong, B., C. Lavoie, Y. Jodoin, and F. Belzile. 2007. Expansion pathways of the exotic common reed (Phragmites australis): A historical and genetic analysis. Diversity and Distributions 13:430-437.
  • Rosen, D. J., R. Carter, and C. T. Bryson. 2006. The spread of Cyperus entrerianus (Cyperaceae) in the southeastern United States and its invasive potential in bottomland hardwood forests. Southeastern Naturalist 5:333-344. [http://www.valdosta.edu/~rcarter/bibliography.htm]
  • Saltonstall, K. 2002. Cryptic invasion by a non-native genotype of the common reed, Phragmites australis, into North America. Proceedings of the National Academy of Science 99:2445-2449.
  • Saltonstall, K., P. M. Peterson, and R. J. Soreng. 2004. Recognition of Phragmites australis subsp. americanus (Poaceae: Arundinoideae) in North America: Evidence from morphological and genetic anlyses. Sida 21:683-692.
  • Ward, D. B. 2010. North America has two species of Phragmites (Gramineae). Castanea 75:394-401.