RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Wiregrass Grown from Seeds Obtained on Florida Flatwood and Sandhill Sites
JF Native Plants Journal
JO NATIVE PLANTS JOURNAL
FD University of Wisconsin Press
SP 123
OP 130
DO 10.2979/NPJ.2004.5.2.123
VO 5
IS 2
A1 Rob Kalmbacher
A1 Jeff Norcini
A1 Tim Pittman
A1 Sharon Pfaff
A1 Frank Martin
YR 2004
UL http://npj.uwpress.org/content/5/2/123.abstract
AB The results of our 2 long-term studies indicate that while it may be best to restore a site with wiregrass (Aristida beyrichinia Trin. & Rupr. [Poaceae]) obtained from a similar site, it does not seem to be essential. In the first study, after 12 y, plants grown on a flatwood site in south-central Florida from seeds collected at a sandhill site (2 locations) in north-central Florida had 83% survival and average aboveground dry mass was 39 g/plant (1.4 oz) with basal diameter of 11.6 cm (4.6 in). In a second study, wiregrass plants from seeds collected at 8 locations (8 entries) across Florida were grown on a flatwood site in central Florida. Four of these entries were also grown on a sandhill site in north Florida. After 4 y on the flatwood site, one entry originating from a nearby flatwood survived better (88%) than the 7 other entries. One entry from a sandhill was notably inferior in survival (3%), but for the remaining 6 entries survival was similar (average 32%). On the sandhill site, the same entry of flatwood origin that had 88% survival on a flatwood had 92% survival, while the other 3 entries averaged 7% survival. Plant dry mass and diameter were not strongly associated with plant origin. Mass averaged 14.8 and 3.1 g/plant (0.52 and 0.11 oz) and diameter averaged 63 and 30 mm/plant (2.5 and 1.8 in) on the flatwood and sandhill sites, respectively.