Tripsacum floridanum is a species of grass in the family Poaceae known by the common name Florida gamagrass.[1] It is native to Cuba and the US state of Florida.[2][3][4]
| Tripsacum floridanum | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Monocots |
| Clade: | Commelinids |
| Order: | Poales |
| Family: | Poaceae |
| Subfamily: | Panicoideae |
| Genus: | Tripsacum |
| Species: | T. floridanum
|
| Binomial name | |
| Tripsacum floridanum Porter ex Vasey
| |
This grass grows from a short, thick rhizome and produces stems up to a meter tall. It may produce one stem or a small clump of stems. The leaves are up to 60 centimeters long and 1 to 15 millimeters wide. The inflorescence contains both male and female spikelets.[4]
This grass grows in pine woods, often in moist areas.[4] It often grows near Pinus elliottii var. densa.[5] Though uncommon in general, the grass is "moderately common in Everglades National Park."[5]
This species is grown as an ornamental plant.[4]
Genus Tripsacum is related to maize (Zea mays).[6] Species of Tripsacum, especially T. floridanum, have been crossed with maize to produce a corn that is resistant to Helminthosporium turcicum, the fungus that causes northern leaf blight in the crop.[2][7]
References
edit- ^ USDA, NRCS (n.d.). "Tripsacum floridanum". The PLANTS Database (plants.usda.gov). Greensboro, North Carolina: National Plant Data Team. Retrieved 15 December 2015.
- ^ a b Tripsacum floridanum. Archived 2012-04-15 at the Wayback Machine Center for Plant Conservation.
- ^ "Tripsacum floridanum". Germplasm Resources Information Network. Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved 21 January 2018.
- ^ a b c d Tripsacum floridanum. Archived 2015-12-22 at the Wayback Machine Grass Manual Treatment.
- ^ a b Tripsacum floridanum. Nature Serve.
- ^ Tantravahi, R. V. (1971). Multiple character analysis and chromosome studies in the Tripsacum lanceolatum complex. Evolution 25(1) 38-50.
- ^ Hooker, A L. (1981). Resistance to Helminthosporium turcicum from Tripsacum floridanum incorporated into corn. Maize Genet Coop Newsl 55: 87–88.