Print Report

A3693 Uniola paniculata - Muhlenbergia filipes - Ernodea littoralis Subtropical Dune Grassland Alliance

Type Concept Sentence: This vegetation consists of tropical and subtropical coastal grasslands dominated or codominated by Uniola paniculata, found in southern Florida and the Caribbean.

Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Sea-oats - Southern Hairgrass - Coughbush Subtropical Dune Grassland Alliance

Colloquial Name: Subtropical Sea-oats Dune Grassland

Hierarchy Level:  Alliance

Type Concept: This vegetation consists of coastal grasslands dominated or codominated by Uniola paniculata , with Ernodea littoralis, Muhlenbergia filipes, and other tropical and subtropical herbs, including Chamaesyce bombensis, Chamaesyce mesembrianthemifolia, Coccoloba uvifera, Croton punctatus, Heliotropium polyphyllum, Ipomoea pes-caprae, Iva imbricata, Oenothera humifusa, Opuntia stricta, Panicum amarum (var. amarulum), Phyllanthus abnormis, Sabal palmetto, Sesuvium portulacastrum, and Spartina patens. In addition, Alternanthera maritima, Flaveria linearis, Ipomoea pes-caprae, Helianthus debilis ssp. debilis, Melanthera sp., Sporobolus spp., Sporobolus virginicus, and Suaeda linearis may be present. In the southeastern United States, this alliance is represented in only a limited number of sites in southern Florida. Many examples have substantial cover of woody vines and shrubs.

Diagnostic Characteristics: This alliance contains tropical and subtropical coastal grasslands dominated or codominated by Uniola paniculata with a substantial tropical floristic component.

Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available

Classification Comments: Uniola paniculata-dominated vegetation from the southeastern coastal plains exclusive of southern Florida is found in ~Uniola paniculata - Panicum amarum Dune Grassland Alliance (A1199)$$.

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 has along with USDA Plants (USDA NRCS 2011) chosen 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: No Data Available

Floristics: These tropical and subtropical coastal grasslands (sometimes with scattered shrubs) are dominated or codominated by Uniola paniculata, with a substantial tropical floristic component. In southwestern Florida from Pinellas County south to Lee County, these coastal grasslands are dominated by Ernodea littoralis, Muhlenbergia filipes, and Uniola paniculata. Other characteristic species include Coccoloba uvifera, Croton punctatus, Heliotropium polyphyllum, Oenothera humifusa, Opuntia stricta, Phyllanthus abnormis, and Sabal palmetto. Stands typically contain scattered shrubs of various heights. In southeastern Florida, from St. Johns County south to Dade County, examples are dominated by Iva imbricata and Uniola paniculata. Other characteristic species in these examples include Chamaesyce mesembrianthemifolia, Chamaesyce bombensis, Helianthus debilis ssp. debilis, Ipomoea pes-caprae, Panicum amarum (var. amarulum), Sesuvium portulacastrum, and Spartina patens. In addition, Alternanthera maritima, Flaveria linearis, Ipomoea pes-caprae, Melanthera sp., Sporobolus spp., Sporobolus virginicus, and Suaeda linearis may be present. Many examples have substantial cover of woody vines and shrubs.

Dynamics:  No Data Available
Environmental Description:  No Data Available
Geographic Range: Vegetation of this alliance is restricted to southern Florida: in southwestern Florida, from Pinellas County south to Lee County; and in southeastern Florida, from St. Johns County south to Dade County. It is only known from a limited number of other sites in Florida. It may possibly be found in the Bahamas and elsewhere in the West Indies.

Nations: BS?,US,XA?

States/Provinces:  FL


Confidence Level: Moderate

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 A3693 Sea-oats - Southern Hairgrass - Coughbush Subtropical Dune Grassland Alliance A3693 2.B.4.Na.2.a
Association CEGL004000 Coughbush / Sea-oats - Gulf Hairawn Muhly Grassland CEGL004000 2.B.4.Na.2.a
Association CEGL004001 Seacoast Marsh-elder / Sea-oats - Beach Sunflower Grassland CEGL004001 2.B.4.Na.2.a
Concept Lineage: This new alliance contains two members of the old alliance A.1153 (2/4).

Predecessors: No Data Available

Obsolete Names: No Data Available

Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: ? Beach Dune (FNAI 1992a)
? Beach Dune, Keys Dune subtype (FNAI 1992b)
>< Beach Dune, Tropical Beach Dune subtype (FNAI 1992b)
? Keys Beach Dune (Kruer 1992)
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
  • FNAI [Florida Natural Areas Inventory]. 1992a. Natural communities. Unpublished document. The Nature Conservancy, Florida Natural Areas Inventory, Tallahassee. 6 pp.
  • 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.
  • Johnson, A. F., and J. W. Muller. 1992. An assessment of Florida''s remaining coastal upland natural communities: Southwest Florida. The Nature Conservancy, Florida Natural Areas Inventory, Tallahassee. 12 pp. plus appendices.
  • Johnson, A. F., and J. W. Muller. 1993a. An assessment of Florida''s remaining coastal upland natural communities: Final summary report. The Nature Conservancy, Florida Natural Areas Inventory, Tallahassee. 37 pp.
  • Kruer, C. R. 1992. An assessment of Florida''s remaining coastal and upland natural communities: Florida Keys. The Nature Conservancy, Florida Natural Areas Inventory, Tallahassee. 33 pp. plus appendices.
  • 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).