Tuctoria mucronata

Tuctoria mucronata
Conservation status
	; Critically Imperiled (NatureServe)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Monocots
Clade:	Commelinids
Order:	Poales
Family:	Poaceae
Genus:	Tuctoria
Species:	T. mucronata
Binomial name
	Tuctoria mucronata; ( J. Reeder

The grass Tuctoria mucronata, which is known by several common names including prickly spiralgrass,^[1] Solano grass, and Crampton's tuctoria, is a federally listed endangered plant species endemic to two counties in northern California.

Description

It is a small annual, with stems growing decumbent against the ground to a maximum length of 12 cm, and turning upward at the tips. The leaves are 2–4 cm long, and secrete a sticky, aromatic juice. In the spring, the grass bears a small inflorescence 1.5–6 cm long, with numerous crowded spikelets.

Ecology

Solano grass is a

Jepson Prairie Preserve

, an area dedicated to conserving vernal pool habitat, but it may no longer exist there.

Loss of critical habitat is the main cause of the near extinction of Solano grass. This loss is caused by land reclamation for development, recreation, and agricultural use, including for grazing animals, fertilizer runoff, and disturbance of the natural

Colusa grass (Neostapfia colusana), and several species of genus Orcuttia

.

References

^ USDA, NRCS (n.d.). "Tuctoria mucronata". The PLANTS Database (plants.usda.gov). Greensboro, North Carolina: National Plant Data Team. Retrieved 12 December 2015.

External links

[1] USDA, NRCS (n.d.). "Tuctoria mucronata". The PLANTS Database (plants.usda.gov). Greensboro, North Carolina: National Plant Data Team. Retrieved 12 December 2015.

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