Spartina, << spahr TYN uh, >> is the name of a group of 16 species of grasses native to North America, South America, western Europe, and northern Africa. Most of these species grow primarily in marshes.
A species of spartina called smooth cordgrass is the dominant plant in marshes along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of the United States. Along the shoreline, it usually grows from about 3 to 7 feet (1 to 2 meters) high. Smooth cordgrass spreads quickly and can gradually turn tidal flats (land uncovered at low tide) into marshes. Such marshes provide food and shelter for the young of commercially important species of fish. The marshes also help protect shorelines from the erosive forces of waves generated by storms and hurricanes. People have introduced spartina grasses to coastal areas throughout the world to create or restore marshes.
