Cordgrass

Name

Cordgrass (Spartina maritima)

Description

This grass measures about 40 cm in length. It grows tufts of leaves which are thin, spiky and entangled. Two branches converge to form the flower head.

Habitat

Cordgrass is regarded as an invasive plant in Southern Africa because of its secluded status on the West Coast; it is a common grass found in North and South America, parts of Europe and along the West African Coast.
It commonly occurs in most estuaries on the southwest and southeast coasts, growing densely just beneath the high-tide mark.

Field Notes

Hybridisations of cordgrass have occurred in many parts of the world where it has taken seed. It is uncertain how cordgrass came to grow in Southern Africa, but it is expected that it was distributed by ships passing from West Africa.