Tripsacum floridanum

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Tripsacum floridanum

Imperiled  (NatureServe)
Scientific classification
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T. floridanum
Binomial name
Tripsacum floridanum
Porter ex Vasey

Tripsacum floridanum is a species of grass in the family Poaceae known by the common name Florida gamagrass.[1] It is native to Cuba and the US state of Florida.[2][3][4]

This grass grows from a short, thick rhizome and produces stems up to a meter tall. It may produce one stem or a small clump of stems. The leaves are up to 60 centimeters long and 1 to 15 millimeters wide. The inflorescence contains both male and female spikelets.[4]

This grass grows in pine woods, often in moist areas.[4] It often grows near Pinus elliottii var. densa.[5] Though uncommon in general, the grass is "moderately common in Everglades National Park."[5]

This species is grown as an ornamental plant.[4]

Genus Tripsacum is related to maize (Zea mays).[6] Species of Tripsacum, especially T. floridanum, have been crossed with maize to produce a corn that is resistant to Helminthosporium turcicum, the fungus that causes northern leaf blight in the crop.[2][7]

References[edit]

  1. ^ USDA, NRCS (n.d.). "Tripsacum floridanum". The PLANTS Database (plants.usda.gov). Greensboro, North Carolina: National Plant Data Team. Retrieved 15 December 2015.
  2. ^ a b Tripsacum floridanum. Archived 2012-04-15 at the Wayback Machine Center for Plant Conservation.
  3. ^ "Tripsacum floridanum". Germplasm Resources Information Network. Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved 21 January 2018.
  4. ^ a b c d Tripsacum floridanum. Archived 2015-12-22 at the Wayback Machine Grass Manual Treatment.
  5. ^ a b Tripsacum floridanum. Nature Serve.
  6. ^ Tantravahi, R. V. (1971). Multiple character analysis and chromosome studies in the Tripsacum lanceolatum complex. Evolution 25(1) 38-50.
  7. ^ Hooker, A L. (1981). Resistance to Helminthosporium turcicum from Tripsacum floridanum incorporated into corn. Maize Genet Coop Newsl 55: 87–88.