Aristida beyrichiana

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Distribution Map: Based on vouchered plant specimens only. View county names by placing the mouse cursor over a particular county.

Species Distribution Map
Family:POACEAE
Species:Aristida beyrichiana Trin. & Rupr.
Common Name:Southern Wiregrass
Habitat:**
Associated Ecological Communities:**
Growth Habit:Herb
Duration:Perennial
Category:Vascular
USDA Symbol:**
Plant Notes:Southern Wiregrass is a native perennial warm season bunch grass in the Grass family (Poaceae). It is native to the southernmost tier of counties in Alabama. Southern Wiregrass is a major component of the herbaceous layer in sandy Longleaf pine forests, and occurs on sites ranging from xeric to hydric. Southern Wiregrass is cespitose and forms large clumps of basal leaves. The leaf blades are tightly involute (rolled) and stiff. The leaves are pubescent on both surfaces, at least when young and near their base. At the base of the blade in the collar area there is a patch of long hairs. Flowers are produced in panicles. The inflorescence is on a shoot approximately 3 feet in height. The branches of the panicle are appressed. Spikelets are in groups of 2-3. The fruit is a grain with 3 nearly equal terminal awns. Southern Wiregrass is sometimes not recognized as a species different from Carolina Wiregrass (Aristida stricta Michaux). Others treat it as a variety of that species (Aristida stricta Michaux var. beyrichiana (Trinius & Ruprecht) D.B. Ward). Regardless of its taxonomic status, Wiregrass is a keystone species of the southern Longleaf Pine forest. Its fine textured foliage provides fuel for the fires that maintain the diversity of these habitats. Unfortunately, this species has been extirpated from much of its range due to development, conversion of Longleaf Pine forests for agriculture or intensively managed timber stands, and suppression of fire. Wiregrass does not tolerate soil disturbance well, and is eliminated by plowing or disking. The few remaining stands of this species occur mostly on public lands where fire is used as a management tool. Southern Wiregrass is a very ornamental grass species and is available from some nurseries. It requires a sandy location in full sun. Foliage should be cut back severely or burned off in the spring to promote flowering.--A. Diamond
Taxonomic Notes:**
Status:Native
References:**
Specimen: View specimen details in the Alabama Herbarium Consortium Specimen Database

** Not applicable or data not available.

Classification

FamilyPOACEAE - Grass family
Genus Aristida
Species Aristida beyrichiana Trin. & Rupr. - Southern Wiregrass

Citation

Citation Aristida beyrichiana Trinius & Ruprecht, Sp. Gram. Stipac. 104. 1842.
Basionym: **
Type: Without data, Beyrich s.n. (holotype: LE; isotype: L, US fragm).

** Not applicable or data not available.

Synonyms

SynonymFull CitationBasionymType
Aristida stricta var. beyrichiana (Trinius & Ruprecht) D.B. Ward   GEORGIA: Without data, Beyrich s.n. (holotype: LE; isotype: L, US fragm).

Specimens and Distribution

This species has been reported in the following counties by the herbaria listed. An overview of the individual specimens are provided in the table that follows. Click on the accession number to view details; click on column headers to sort; choose a county or herbaria to filter the specimen data.

Counties included on distribution map: Baldwin, Covington, Escambia, Geneva, Houston, Mobile, Monroe

Counties represented by specimen data listed below:

Herbaria represented by specimen data listed below: ALNHS, AUA, TROY, UNA, UWAL

Range of years during which specimens were collected: -

Barcode / Accession No. County Coll. Date Collector &
Collection No.		 Herbarium &
Herbarium Name Used		 Image
AUA000015056 Baldwin 22 Sep 1981 Henderson, T.
599		 AUA
Aristida Beyrichiana Trin. & Rupr.
UWAL0037784 Covington 27 Oct 1998 Sorrie, Bruce A.
10050		 UWAL
Aristida beyrichiana Trinius & Ruprecht
UNA00059621 Baldwin 10 Nov 2002 Zebryk, Tad M.
8011		 UNA
Aristida beyrichiana Trinius & Ruprecht
AUA000015057 Covington 7 Nov 1993 Diamond, Alvin R.
8952		 AUA
Aristida Beyrichiana Trin. & Rupr.
UWAL0002189 Baldwin 30 Oct 2008 Spaulding, Daniel D.
13126		 UWAL
Aristida beyrichiana Trin. & Rupr.
ALNHS00008528 Houston 26 Sep 2023 Barger, T. Wayne
SP#6191		 ALNHS
Aristida beyrichiana Trin. & Rupr.
AUA000024356 Covington 27 Oct 1998 Sorrie, Bruce A.
10050		 AUA
Aristida Beyrichiana Trin. & Rupr.
UNA00074052 Covington 9 Apr 2012 Hansen, C.J.
5431		 UNA
Aristida beyrichiana Trinius & Ruprecht
UWAL0034294 Covington 26 Jun 1991 Kral, Robert
79149		 UWAL
Aristida stricta Michx.
ALNHS00008529 Houston 26 Sep 2023 Barger, T. Wayne
SP#6191		 ALNHS
Aristida beyrichiana Trin. & Rupr.
UWAL0018853 Monroe 03 Aug 1996 Kral, Robert
86369		 UWAL
Aristida stricta Trinius
TROY000026833 Escambia 20 Nov 2008 Diamond, Alvin R.
20456		 TROY
Aristida beyrichiana Trinius & Ruprecht
UNA00056271 Covington 05 Oct 1998 MacDonald, John R.
12235		 UNA
Aristida stricta Michx.
TROY000042815 Escambia 17 Sep 2015 Diamond, Alvin R.
26842		 TROY
Aristida beyrichiana Trinius & Ruprecht
UNA00003495 Baldwin s.d. Mohr, Charles
s.n.		 UNA
Aristida beyrichiana Trinius & Ruprecht
TROY000011549 Geneva 05 Oct 1999 MacDonald, John R.
13593		 TROY
Aristida beyrichiana Trinius & Ruprecht
UNA00057115 Geneva 05 Oct 1999 MacDonald, John R.
13593		 UNA
Aristida beyrichiana Trinius & Ruprecht
UWAL0042853 Baldwin 10 Oct 2005 Larsen, Harry S.
1405		 UWAL
Aristida beyrichiana Trin. & Rupr.
UWAL0050359 Covington 09 Apr 2012 Hansen, Curtis J.
5436		 UWAL
Aristida beyrichiana Trin. & Rupr.
UNA00003409 Mobile _ Oct 1886 Mohr, Charles
s.n.		 UNA
Aristida beyrichiana Trinius & Ruprecht
UWAL0030338 Escambia 17 Sep 2015 Diamond, Alvin R.
26842		 UWAL
Aristida beyrichiana Trinius & Ruprecht
UWAL0043996 Baldwin 01 Oct 2000 Larsen, Harry S.
1033		 UWAL
Aristida byrichiana Trin. & Rupr.
TROY000044462 Baldwin 30 Oct 2008 Spaulding, Daniel D.
13126		 TROY
Aristida beyrichiana Trinius & Ruprecht
AUA000015058 Covington 1 Feb 1994 Diamond, Alvin R.
9005		 AUA
Aristida Beyrichiana Trin. & Rupr.
ALNHS00008386 Houston 26 Sep 2023 Barger, T. Wayne
SP#6191		 ALNHS
Aristida beyrichiana Trin. & Rupr.
TROY000044483 Baldwin 30 Oct 2008 Spaulding, Daniel D.
13126		 TROY
Aristida beyrichiana Trinius & Ruprecht
UNA00056072 Houston 13 Aug 1998 MacDonald, John R.
11729		 UNA
Aristida beyrichiana Trinius & Ruprecht
TROY000050665 Covington 09 Apr 2012 Hansen, Curtis J.
5431		 TROY
Aristida beyrichiana Trinius & Ruprecht
UWAL0002190 Baldwin 30 Oct 2008 Spaulding, Daniel D.
13126		 UWAL
Aristida beyrichiana Trin. & Rupr.
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