Vascular Plants - Poaceae - Distichlis:
Distichlis spicata
Page Author: Don Knoke
inland saltgrass, coastal saltgrass 
Blooms: June - September
Habit: herb
Duration: perennial
Origin: Native
Distribution: Vancouver Island, British Columbia, south to California; also along the east coast of the United States from Canada to Florida and Texas.
Habitat: Coastal beaches and salt marshes.
Species Description:

General: Dioecious perennials from extensive rhizomes, the culms solid, 10-40 cm. tall, sometimes decumbent and stolonous.
Leaves: Sheaths open, glabrous; ligules about 0.5 mm. long; blades involute, 2-4 mm. broad, usually glabrous, stiff and sharp-pointed.
Flowers: Inflorescence a compact panicle 3-8 cm. long; staminate spikelets yellowish, 7- to 16-flowered, strongly compressed; pistillate spikelets greenish, 5- to 9-flowered; first glume 2-2.5 mm. long, the second 1 mm. longer; staminate lemmas membranous, about 6 mm. long, the pistillate lemmas harder and shorter; paleas slightly shorter, with a winged keel 0.1 mm. broad.
Accepted Name:
Distichlis spicata (L.) Greene
Synonyms:
Distichlis spicata (L.) Greene ssp. stricta (Torr.) Thorne
Distichlis spicata (L.) Greene var. borealis (J. Presl) Beetle
Distichlis spicata (L.) Greene var. divaricata Beetle
Distichlis spicata (L.) Greene var. nana Beetle
Distichlis spicata (L.) Greene var. stolonifera Beetle
Distichlis spicata (L.) Greene var. stricta (Torr.) Scribn.
Distichlis stricta (Torr.) Rydb.
Distichlis stricta (Torr.) Rydb. var. dentata (Rydb.) C.L. Hitchc.
Distichlis stricta (Torr.) Rydb. var. stricta
Uniola spicata L.

Treated in Flora of the PNW as:
Distichlis spicata var. borealis, Distichlis stricta vars. dentata, stricta
Additional Resources:

PNW Herbaria Specimens: View list of Distichlis spicata specimens in the Consortium of Pacific Northwest Herbaria database.

WTU Herbarium Specimens: View list of Distichlis spicata specimens in the WTU Herbarium database.

Washington Flora Checklist: Distichlis spicata treatment.

E-Flora BC: Distichlis spicata atlas page.

CalPhotos: Distichlis spicata images.

USDA Plants Database: Distichlis spicata.
Additional photographs of Distichlis spicata:
(click on a thumbnail to view larger photo)

Fred Weinmann, 1992

Fred Weinmann, 1992

Richard Old

Richard Old

Richard Old

Richard Old

Clayton J. Antieau, 1995

Clayton J. Antieau, 1995

Robert L. Carr, 2010

Robert L. Carr, 2010

Robert L. Carr, 2010

Robert L. Carr, 2010

Robert L. Carr, 2010

Robert L. Carr, 2010
(password required)

Burke Museum


©2013 Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture.
All Rights Reserved. Box 353010, University of Washington,
Seattle, WA 98195-3010, Phone: 206-543-5590.
On the UW campus at 17th Avenue NE and NE 45th Street.
Washington Native Plant Society
WA Native Plant Society