Print Report

A3688 Muhlenbergia filipes - Spartina patens Dune Grassland Alliance

Type Concept Sentence: This vegetation is dominated or codominated by Muhlenbergia filipes with Spartina patens and Eustachys petraea. It is found on moist interdune flats, from the vicinity of Nags Head, Dare County, North Carolina, south and west at least to the western coast of peninsular Florida.

Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Southern Hairgrass - Saltmeadow Cordgrass Dune Grassland Alliance

Colloquial Name: Southern Hairgrass - Saltmeadow Cordgrass Dune Grassland

Hierarchy Level:  Alliance

Type Concept: This alliance includes moist interdune flats dominated or codominated by Muhlenbergia filipes with Spartina patens and Eustachys petraea, located from the vicinity of Nags Head, Dare County, North Carolina, south and west at least to the western coast of peninsular Florida. Examples on Cayo Costa and North Captiva islands, Lee County, Florida, are dominated by Bouteloua hirsuta, with Muhlenbergia filipes, Uniola paniculata, and more typical Southeastern Coastal Plain coastal species. Other characteristic species there may include Ambrosia hispida, Chiococca parvifolia, Coccoloba uvifera, Ernodea littoralis, Lantana depressa var. sanibelensis, Panicum amarum var. amarulum, Phyllanthus abnormis, Smilax auriculata, and Trichostema [sp. nov. ined.].

Diagnostic Characteristics: This is vegetation of moist interdune flats dominated or codominated by Muhlenbergia filipes with Schizachyrium sanguineum var. sanguineum and Spartina patens, found from North Carolina to Florida.

Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available

Classification Comments: Nomenclatural notes on Muhlenbergia (C. Nordman/M. Pyne 10-07, 3-14): NatureServe Ecology varies from Kartesz (1999) on the nomenclature of three related southeastern Muhlenbergia taxa. The names in Kartesz (1999) for these plants are Muhlenbergia capillaris (Lam.) Trin. var. capillaris; Muhlenbergia capillaris (Lam.) Trin. var. filipes (M.A. Curtis) Chapman ex Beal; and Muhlenbergia capillaris (Lam.) Trin. var. trichopodes (Ell.) Vasey. NatureServe Ecology has chosen along with USDA Plants (USDA NRCS 2011) to treat all three of these at the specific level, as (respectively) Muhlenbergia capillaris Lam.; Muhlenbergia filipes M.A. Curtis; and Muhlenbergia expansa (Poir.) Trin. A more recent innovation, which may be adopted at some point, is the recent recognition that Muhlenbergia sericea (Michx.) P.M. Peterson is the correct name (based on nomenclatural priority) for the plant formerly known as Muhlenbergia filipes M.A. Curtis (= Muhlenbergia capillaris var. filipes) (Gustafson and Peterson 2007).

Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: Examples are dominated by grasses, graminoids, and forbs.

Floristics: Examples of this alliance are codominated by Eustachys petraea, Muhlenbergia filipes, and Spartina patens. Examples on Cayo Costa and North Captiva islands, Lee County, Florida, are dominated by Bouteloua hirsuta, with Muhlenbergia filipes, Uniola paniculata, and more typical Southeastern Coastal Plain coastal species. Other characteristic species there may include Ambrosia hispida, Chiococca parvifolia (= Chiococca pinetorum), Coccoloba uvifera, Ernodea littoralis, Lantana depressa var. sanibelensis, Panicum amarum var. amarulum, Phyllanthus abnormis, Smilax auriculata, and Trichostema [sp. nov. ined.]. Other characteristic species include Agave decipiens, Alternanthera flavescens (= Alternanthera ramosissima), Andropogon glomeratus var. pumilus, Baccharis halimifolia, Bidens pilosa, Cirsium horridulum, Croton glandulosus var. floridanus, Dalbergia ecastaphyllum, Euphorbia heterophylla (= Poinsettia heterophylla), Fimbristylis castanea, Flaveria floridana, Flaveria linearis, Pentalinon luteum (= Urechites lutea), and Randia aculeata.

Dynamics:  No Data Available
Environmental Description:  This is vegetation of moist interdune flats that are saturated at times, but the coarse sandy substrate drains quickly and are thus placed in upland.
Geographic Range: This alliance is known from the vicinity of Nags Head, Dare County, North Carolina, south and west at least to the western coast of peninsular Florida. Limits westward are not known (the species goes to Texas). It is found in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina.

Nations: US

States/Provinces:  AL, FL, GA, LA, MS?, TX


Confidence Level: Low

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 A3688 Southern Hairgrass - Saltmeadow Cordgrass Dune Grassland Alliance A3688 2.B.4.Na.2.a
Association CEGL003964 Crimson Bluestem - Gulf Hairawn Muhly - Yellow Thistle - (Basora-Prieta) Grassland CEGL003964 2.B.4.Na.2.a
Association CEGL004093 Hairy Grama - (Gulf Hairawn Muhly) Grassland CEGL004093 2.B.4.Na.2.a
Association CEGL004971 Saltmeadow Cordgrass - Bitter Panicgrass - Beach Marsh-pennywort Grassland CEGL004971 2.B.4.Na.2.a
Association CEGL008445 Saltmeadow Cordgrass - Gulf Bluestem - Seaside Goldenrod Grassland CEGL008445 2.B.4.Na.2.a
Concept Lineage: Two of the associations included here are from A.1217 (2/2), and one from A.1151 (1/1)., so these two old alliances are in effect combined to make the new one.

Predecessors: No Data Available

Obsolete Names: No Data Available

Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: ? Coastal Berm (FNAI 1992a)
? Coastal Berm, Bouteloua Savanna subtype (FNAI 1992b)
? Southwest Florida coastal grassland (Johnson and Muller 1992) [one of three parts.]
Concept Author(s): M. Pyne, in Faber-Langendoen et al. (2013)

Author of Description: M. Pyne

Acknowledgements: We have incorporated significant descriptive information previously compiled by A.S. Weakley.

Version Date: 09-26-14
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  • FNAI [Florida Natural Areas Inventory]. 1992b. Natural community classification. Unpublished document. The Nature Conservancy, Florida Natural Areas Inventory, Tallahassee. 16 pp.
  • 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.
  • Gustafson, D. J., and P. M. Peterson. 2007. Re-examination of Muhlenbergia capillaris, M. expansa and M. sericea (Poaceae: Muhlenbergiinae). Journal Botanical Research Institute of Texas 1(1):85-89.
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  • Kartesz, J. T. 1999. A synonymized checklist and atlas with biological attributes for the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. First edition. In: J. T. Kartesz and C. A. Meacham. Synthesis of the North American Flora, Version 1.0. North Carolina Botanical Garden, Chapel Hill, NC.
  • Nelson, J. B. 1986. The natural communities of South Carolina: Initial classification and description. South Carolina Wildlife and Marine Resources Department, Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries, Columbia, SC. 55 pp.
  • Schafale, M. P., and A. S. Weakley. 1990. Classification of the natural communities of North Carolina. Third approximation. North Carolina Department of Environment, Health, and Natural Resources, Division of Parks and Recreation, Natural Heritage Program, Raleigh. 325 pp.
  • USDA NRCS [Natural Resources Conservation Service]. 2011. The PLANTS Database. USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, LA. [http://plants.usda.gov/] (accessed 25 April 2011).