Taxon Report

Spartina gracilis Trin.

alkali cord grass

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Taxon Summary

Spartina gracilis, commonly known as alkali cord grass, is a perennial rhizomatous herb in the Poaceae that is found in California and elsewhere. It occurs within Great Basin scrub, Marshes and swamps, and Meadows and seeps, growing at elevations from 1000 to 2100 meters. Spartina gracilis is ranked 4.2, Plants of Limited Distribution, A Watch List; Moderately threatened in California.

Classification


Scientific Name:	Spartina gracilis Trin.
Common Name:	alkali cord grass
Family:	Poaceae
Element Code:	PMPOA5S060
USDA Plants Symbol:	SPGR
Synonyms/Other Names:

Ecology and Life History


Lifeform:	perennial rhizomatous herb
Blooming Period: Jun-Aug	Jun-Aug
Elevation:	1000-2100 (3280-6890)
General Habitats:	Great Basin scrub, Marshes and swamps, Meadows and seeps
Microhabitat:	Alkaline
Microhabitat Details:

Conservation Status


CA Rare Plant Rank:	4.2
Global Rank:	G5
State Rank:	S3
State List:	None
Fed List:	None
Other Status:	IUCN_LC; SB_CalBG/RSABG
CRPR Changes:

Occurrence Data from the CNDDB


Total Occurrences:	0
Element Occurrence Ranks:
Excellent (A)	0
Good (B)	0
Fair (C)	0
Poor (D)	0
None (X)	0
Unknown (U)	0

Location


California Endemic: False
California Counties and Islands: Name (Code)
Inyo (INY), Mono (MNO)
Quads: Name (Quad Code)
Benton Hot Springs (3711875), Blackrock (3611882), Chidago Canyon (3711854), Fish Slough (3711844), Indian Meadows (3711886), Last Chance Mtn. (3711736), Laws (3711843), River Spring (3711885), Watterson Canyon (3711866), Whitmore Hot Springs (3711867)

Threat List Data from the CNDDB


Threat List Total:	0
EOs with Threat Listed:	Total EOs	% of EOs
	0	0 %

Notes



Threatened by grazing.
Threats:

Taxonomy:

Selected References

Citation California Native Plant Society, Rare Plant Program. 2025. Rare Plant Inventory (online edition, v9.5.1). Website https://www.rareplants.cnps.org [accessed 25 February 2025].