Spartina

Spartina is a section of the genus Sporobolus, plants in the grass family, frequently found in coastal salt marshes. It was first established as a separate genus in 1789, and reduced to a section in 2014. Species are commonly known as cordgrass or cord-grass, and are native to the coasts of the Atlantic Ocean in western and southern Europe, north-western and southern Africa, the Americas and the islands of the southern Atlantic Ocean; one or two species also occur on the western coast of North America and in freshwater habitats inland in the Americas. The highest species diversity is on the east coasts of North and South America, particularly Florida. They form large, often dense colonies, particularly on coastal salt marshes, and grow quickly. The species vary in size from 0.3–2 m tall. Many of the species will produce hybrids if they come into contact.

Taxonomy

In 2014, the taxon Spartina was subsumed into the genus Sporobolus and reassigned to the taxonomic status of section, but it may still be possible to see Spartina referred to as an accepted genus. In 2019, an interdisciplinary team of experts from all continents (except for Antarctica) coauthored a report published in the journal Ecology supporting Spartina as a genus.

The section name Spartina is derived from σπαρτίνη (spartínē), the Greek word for a cord made from Spanish broom (Spartium junceum).