Vascular Plants of North Carolina
Account for Pinebarren Sandreed - Calamovilfa brevipilis   (Torrey) Lamson-Scribner
Members of Poaceae:
Only member of Calamovilfa in NC.
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Section 5 » Order Cyperales » Family Poaceae
Author(Torrey) Lamson-Scribner
DistributionSandhills and Coastal Plain, absent from the northern portions of the Coastal Plain. One population in the lower Piedmont of Montgomery County.

Coastal Plain, central and southern NJ; southeastern VA to central SC.
AbundanceUncommon to locally frequent in the Coastal Plain; very rare in the Piedmont. This is an S3 species, widespread and numerous enough (22 county records) that it probably no longer needs to be treated as a Watch List species.
HabitatMoist ecotones of blackwater streamheads, wet Longleaf Pine savannas and their ecotones of pocosins, pitcher-plant seepages.
PhenologyFlowering and fruiting June-September. Dependent on fire to trigger flowering (although some plants may flower following mowing or cutting).
IdentificationPinebarren Sandreed is notable for its large (2-3 feet across) tussocks with leaves horizontal or arching and radiating in 360 degrees. Unlike Carolina Wiregrass (Aristida stricta), the leaves are flat. Flowering stems routinely reach 3-4 feet high, terminated by an open and airy inflorescence 6 inches to a foot long. Stems grow from very tough, very thick, shiny, horizontal rhizomes.
Taxonomic CommentsFor many decades treated as Calamovilfa brevipilis, but recent molecular research proves that that genus is nested deeply within Sporobolus.

Other Common Name(s)None
State RankS3
Global RankG4
State StatusW1
US Status
USACE-agcpOBL link
USACE-empOBL link
County Map - click on a county to view source of record.
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B.A. SorrieHarnett County, same data. HarnettPhoto_natural
B.A. SorrieHarnett County, 2006, Fort Bragg Northern Training Area, wet powerline E of NC 87. HarnettPhoto_natural
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