RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 Notice of release of Coastal Plains Germplasm little bluestem: a selected class of natural germplasm JF Native Plants Journal JO NATIVE PLANTS JOURNAL FD University of Wisconsin Press SP 47 OP 53 DO 10.3368/npj.19.1.47 VO 19 IS 1 A1 R Alan Shadow A1 Garret Thomassie A1 Melinda R Brakie YR 2018 UL http://npj.uwpress.org/content/19/1/47.abstract AB Released in 2016, this selected class germplasm of little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium (Michx.) Nash var. scoparium [Poaceae]) provides an adapted source of little bluestem for restoration of coastal prairies, longleaf pine understory, soil conservation, and wildlife habitat in the Western Coastal Plains region of Texas and Louisiana. We evaluated 87 seed collections from eastern Texas and Louisiana for germination and seedling vigor under greenhouse conditions. Seventy-seven accessions (38 from Texas and 39 from Louisiana) with favorable germination and seedling vigor were further evaluated for foliage abundance, disease resistance, lodging, seed production, plant height and width, boot dates, and bloom dates in a common-garden study at the USDA NRCS East Texas Plant Materials Center (ETPMC). Seed harvested from the common garden was used to establish Coastal Plains Germplasm little bluestem.