| Swallenia | |
|---|---|
| Conservation status | |
|
Critically Imperiled (NatureServe) |
|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Monocots |
| (unranked): | Commelinids |
| Order: | Poales |
| Family: | Poaceae |
| Subfamily: | Chloridoideae |
| Genus: | Swallenia |
| Species: | S. alexandrae |
| Binomial name | |
| Swallenia alexandrae (Swallen) Söderstr. & Decker |
|
| Synonyms | |
|
Ectosperma alexandrae |
|
Swallenia is a monotypic genus containing the single species of grass Swallenia alexandrae, which is known by the common names Eureka dunegrass and Eureka Valley dune grass. This genus was named for twentieth-century botanist Jason Richard Swallen.
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This is a rare plant endemic to Inyo County, California, where it is found on a single isolated dune system, the Eureka Valley Sand Dunes in the Eureka Valley.
Swallenia alexandrae is a coarse, tufted perennial grass which grows in sand from thick rhizomes. Its stiffly erect clums, sharp-leafed grass, and erect pale-colored panicle inflorescences are diagnostic.
This is a federally listed endangered species of the United States. The main threat to the species survival has been off-roading, which is no longer permitted in its habitat. Trespassing off-roaders and campers are still a threat to the five remaining occurrences.[1]