Tripsacum floridanum
dwarf Fakahatchee grass, Florida gamagrass
Nomenclature
Common Name:
Synonym(s):
Genus species:
Family:
Poaceae (Gramineae)
Plant Specifics
Form:
Size:
Life Span:
Long-lived perennial
Flower Color:
Fruit Color:
Phenology:
Noted For:
Landscaping
Recommended Uses:
Considerations:
Text
Availability:
Text
Propagation:
Text
Light:
Text
Moisture Tolerance:
Always Flooded---------------------------------Extremely Dry
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Somewhat moist, no flooding -to- Very long very dry periods
Salt Water Flooding Tolerance:
Unknown
Salt Spray/Salty Soil Tolerance:
Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray
Soil or Other Substrate:
Sand, Lime Rock
Soil pH:
Suitable to Grow In:
8A,8B,9A,9B,10A,10B
Ecology
Wildlife:
Larval host for Byssus Skipper ( Problema byssus ).
Seeds are eaten by birds. Provides cover for lizzards and other small animals.
Native Habitats:
Comments:
Ethnobotany:
General Comments:
Grows well well north of its native range. Documented in very southern counties with an outlier in Martin County -- that outlier is also unique in that it was collected near a cypress dome.
Closely related to corn, this species has been crossed with maize to produce a corn that is resistant to Helminthosporium turcicum, the fungus that causes northern leaf blight (Wikipedia).
Listed as Threatened in Florida.
