Spartina x townsendii - Townsend's Cord Grass

Family:	Gramineae
Habit:	Perennial
Height:	1.2
Synonyms:
Range:	Western Europe in Britain and France.

Spartina x townsendii (Townsend's Cord Grass) is a Perennial which grows to a height of 1.2m . It has a hardness rating of 0.
Townsend's Cord Grass will flower in December to February. The flowers from this plant are monoecious (both sexes are found on the plant but each flower is either male or female) and they are pollinated by Wind

Soil Information

Townsend's Cord Grass will grow in light (sandy),medium (loamy),hard (clay) soil. It is not necessary for the soil to be well drained.
The soil prefers the following PH / acid levels :
- pH of less than 6, Acidic soils
- pH between 6 and 8, Neutral soils
- pH greater than 8, Basic soils
Townsend's Cord Grass prefers soils

Ideal Planting Locations

Townsend's Cord Grass can grow in semi or areas with no shade.

Tidal mud flats[1, 17].

Planting places suited to this plant described below.

• A bog garden plant

Cultivation Details

Succeeds in fresh or salt water marshes and in ordinary garden soil[162]. Prefers a deep rich moist soil in sun or light shade[200]. This plant is a naturally occurring hybrid, probably S. maritima (syn S. stricta) and S. alternifolia[1]. An allopolyploid[200].

Edible Uses*

* See disclaimer
Edible Rating: 0/5
None known

Medicinal Uses*

* See disclaimer
Medicinal Rating: 0/5
None known

Propagation

Seed - sow in a greenhouse in spring and only just cover the seed. Germination should take place within 2 weeks. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle. Plant out in the summer if sufficient growth has been made, otherwise overwinter them in a cold frame and plant them out in the following spring. This species is a hybrid and is therefore unlikely to breed true from seed. Division in spring.

Known Hazards

None known

Other Uses

The plants have an extensive root system and they are much planted in tidal flats for erosion control[1, 17, 162].

• Soil stabilization - Plants that can be grown in places such as sand dunes in order to prevent erosion by wind, water or other agents.

Cultivars

no recorded cultivars

References

Flora of the British Isles.
Clapham, Tootin and Warburg.
Author: Clapham, Tootin and Warburg.
Rating:
Publisher : A very comprehensive flora, the standard reference book but it has no pictures.
Date of Publication : 1962

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