''Alexfloydia'' is a genus of

perennial A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives more than two years. The term ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the years") is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. The term is also wide ...

grasses Poaceae () or Gramineae () is a large and nearly ubiquitous family of monocotyledonous flowering plants commonly known as grasses. It includes the cereal grasses, bamboos and the grasses of natural grassland and species cultivated in lawns and ...

in the panic grass subfamily of the

Poaceae Poaceae () or Gramineae () is a large and nearly ubiquitous family of monocotyledonous flowering plants commonly known as grasses. It includes the cereal grasses, bamboos and the grasses of natural grassland and species cultivated in lawns an ...

grass family. This genus is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

to coastal eastern

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

. There is one known species, ''Alexfloydia repens''. This genus was named in honour of the species discoverer, Australian botanist

Alexander Floyd Alexander Geoffrey Floyd (1 April 1926 – 12 December 2022) was an Australian botanist with an expert knowledge of rainforest plants, particularly the rainforest trees of New South Wales. He has worked with the New South Wales Forestry Commiss ...

(1926-).

Habitat and distribution

''Alexfloydia repens'' is a spreading, mat-forming grass found on the margins of brackish and tidal waterways in areas flooded by unusually high tides (called "

king tide A king tide is an especially high spring tide, especially the perigean spring tides which occur three or four times a year. King tide is not a scientific term, nor is it used in a scientific context. The expression originated in Australia, Ne ...

s"). The species forms a groundcover associated with the tree species ''

Casuarina glauca ''Casuarina glauca'', commonly known as the swamp she-oak, swamp oak, grey oak, or river oak, is a species of ''Casuarina'' native to the east coast of Australia. It is found from central Queensland south to southern New South Wales. It has becom ...

'' and the Endangered Ecological Community Swamp Oak Floodplain Forest. Currently this grass is known only from a few locations in the

Coffs Harbour Coffs Harbour is a city on the Mid North Coast of New South Wales, Australia, north of Sydney, and south of Brisbane. It is one of the largest urban centres on the North Coast, with a population of 78,759 as per 2021 census. The Gumbaynggirr ...

region.

Status

This species is listed as Endangered on the schedules of the NSW ''Threatened Species Act''.

Ecology

''Alexfloydia repens'' is the sole larval food plant for the endangered Black grass-dart butterfly (''

Ocybadistes knightorum ''Ocybadistes knightorum'' (common name - Black grass dart) is a butterfly in the family Hesperiidae, first described in 1994 by Trevor A. Lambkin and John F. Donaldson. It is endemic to New South Wales. It has a very limited distribution in the ...

'') (Lambkin & Donaldson, 1994).

References

{{Taxonbar, from1=Q2202305, from2=Q24700083 Panicoideae Monotypic Poaceae genera Poales of Australia Flora of New South Wales Endemic flora of Australia Endangered flora of Australia

Habitat and distribution

Status

Ecology

See also

References