Phyllospadix torreyi

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Missouri Botanical Garden, 4344 Shaw Boulevard, St. Louis, MO 63110 USA

Distribution

B.C.; Calif., Oreg.; Mexico (Baja California).

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License:

Rights Holder:

Missouri Botanical Garden, 4344 Shaw Boulevard, St. Louis, MO, 63110 USA

Range Description

Phyllospadix torreyi occurs in the Pacific from northern Vancouver Island on the west coast of Canada to the tip of Baja California and Mexico.

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http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/

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International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources

National Distribution

Canada

Origin: Unknown/Undetermined

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Unknown/Undetermined

Confidence: Confident

United States

Origin: Unknown/Undetermined

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Unknown/Undetermined

Confidence: Confident

Source:

NatureServe

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NatureServe

Herbs; nodes with 2 rows of 3--5 roots. Leaves: sheath 6.5--55 cm, margins overlapping; blade to 2 m ´ 0.5--1.5 mm, margins entire, apex notched to rounded or slightly apiculate; veins 3. Generative shoots 50--60 cm, nodes 4--6, proximal 2 nodes each with 1 leaf, sterile, distal 2--4 nodes each bearing 1 leaf and 1--5 spathes. Inflorescences: peduncles 8--45 ´ 1--2 mm; staminate bract 2.5--4.3 ´ 2--2.7 mm; pistillate bract 3.5--6 ´ 1--1.5 mm, base distally narrowed, apex obtuse to acute. Fruits 2.8--3.2 ´ 2.9--3.5 mm.

Source:

License:

Rights Holder:

Missouri Botanical Garden, 4344 Shaw Boulevard, St. Louis, MO, 63110 USA

Habitat

Intertidal zone; -15m.

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Rights Holder:

Missouri Botanical Garden, 4344 Shaw Boulevard, St. Louis, MO, 63110 USA

Habitat and Ecology

Phyllospadix torreyi is a colonial marine angiosperm that lives on turbulent rocky shores. Surfgrass exhibits a strongly female-biased sex ratio in flowering shoots throughout its distribution (Williams 1995). In the Pacific coast of North America it grows at greater depths and is generally more abundant on the exposed parts of the coast and even in tidal pools with sandy bottoms. It is also found in the macrophyte detritus layers in submarine canyons in southern and central California (Green and Short 2003).

Surfgrasses (Phyllospadix spp.) are not found where sea surface temperatures exceed 21°C in winter or 27°C in the summer. Surfgrass has a low tolerance to higher temperatures which suggests that populations in Baja California Sur might be impacted by global climate change. Phyllospadix scouleri is distributed higher in the lower intertidal and upper subtidal zones than P. torreyi.

Systems

Marine

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International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources

Cyclicity

Flowering/Fruiting

Flowering and fruiting spring--fall.

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Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLD)

Rights Holder:

Missouri Botanical Garden, 4344 Shaw Boulevard, St. Louis, MO, 63110 USA

Molecular Biology

Barcode data: Phyllospadix torreyi

The following is a representative barcode sequence, the centroid of all available sequences for this species.

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http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

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Barcode of Life Data Systems

Statistics of barcoding coverage: Phyllospadix torreyi

Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLDS) Stats
Public Records: 1
Specimens with Barcodes: 1
Species With Barcodes: 1

Source:

Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLD)

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http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

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Barcode of Life Data Systems

Conservation Status

IUCN Red List Assessment

Red List Category

Least Concern

Red List Criteria

Version

3.1

Year Assessed

2010

Assessor/s

Carruthers, T.J.B., Short, F.T., Waycott, M., Kendrick, G.A., Fourqurean, J.W., Callabine, A., Kenworthy, W.J. & Dennison, W.C.

Reviewer/s

Livingstone, S., Harwell, H. & Carpenter, K.E.

Contributor/s

Justification

The population trend for P. torreyi is thought to be stable. There are no major threats although there have been some localized declines from coastal development. This species is listed as Least Concern.

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http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/

Rights Holder:

International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources

NatureServe Conservation Status

Rounded Global Status Rank: G4 - Apparently Secure

Source:

NatureServe

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NatureServe

National NatureServe Conservation Status

Canada

Rounded National Status Rank: NNR - Unranked

United States

Rounded National Status Rank: NNR - Unranked

Source:

NatureServe

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http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/

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NatureServe

Trends

Population

The population status of this species is thought to be stable.

Population Trend

Stable

Source:

License:

Rights Holder:

International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources

Threats

Major Threats

There are no major threats to this species. Localized threats include coastal development and modifications and over-water structures in the form of ferry terminals and commercial docks. Mechanical damage from boats and dredging is also a minor localized threat. Phyllospadix torreyi is sensitive to desiccation (Ramirez-Garcia et al. 2002) as it lives in more shallow areas. It may also be more susceptible to climate change.

Source:

License:

Rights Holder:

International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources

Management

Conservation Actions

There are no known species-specific conservation measures for this species. It is not clear if the federal, provincial or state, or local administrative laws and ordinances recognize this species in the Northeast Pacific (Green and Short 2003).

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