Biology Reference
In-Depth Information
Native cordgrass,
Spartina foliosa
. Tidal
marshes in the San Francisco Estuary dif-
fer from other central California coast
marshes in several ways, among them
the historic dominance of Pacific cord-
grass (pictured here) and the presence of
locally endemic species such as soft
bird's beak (see p. 187) and Suisun this-
tle. Before Europeans settled around San
Francisco Bay, this native grass lined hun-
dreds of miles of local channels and
shoreline, and also thrived in San Diego
County and Baja, California. Today, Pacific
cordgrass is competing for space at the
water's edge with invaders from other
coasts. (Jude Stalker)
Salt Grass
Salt grass sends out creeping runners both above and below ground to es-
tablish colonies of clones. These grow into thick mats of sod interwoven
with fallen leaves and dead stems. Rhizomes may radiate out from the
mother plant in a starlike pattern on bare ground. Stiff, coarse stems fea-
turing sharply pointed leaves give salt grass (
Distichlis spicata
) a spiky ap-
pearance. Tightly overlapping leaf sheaths give the stem a scaly look that is
echoed in the rhizomes. Salt grass tends to grow in dense, ankle-height
stands that can dominate high and middle tidal marsh zones; it is often
found with pickleweed. Salt grass contains spongy, air-filled tissues, which
allow the plant to grow both underwater and in mud. Glands on the leaves
exude salt. The flowers are bright, pinkish-purple, grow on spikelets, and
mature into pale-green seed heads. Ducks seldom feed on the seed, but
geese graze on the plant itself in the fall. Some fish and crustaceans may
nibble on its roots, but primarily rely on the plant for cover.
Pickleweed
Dense stands of succulent pickleweed are found in the middle zones of
many bay marshes but can also be found mixed among cordgrass. Peren-
nial pickleweed (
Sarcocornia pacifica)
) grows in thick clumps with semi-
woody bases 8 inches to 25 inches tall. It can form prostrate turflike vege-
tation on marsh plains, or waist-high sub-shrubs in well-drained salt
