''Swallenia'' is a rare genus of plants in the

grass family 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 ...

, found only in

Death Valley National Park Death Valley National Park is an American national park that straddles the California–Nevada border, east of the Sierra Nevada. The park boundaries include Death Valley, the northern section of Panamint Valley, the southern section of Eureka ...

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

. The only known species is ''Swallenia alexandrae'', known by the common names Eureka dunegrass and Eureka Valley dune grass. This genus was named for American botanist

Jason Richard Swallen Jason Richard Swallen (May 1, 1903 -April 22, 1991) was an American botanist specializing in grasses. Born in Alliance, Ohio, Swallen graduated from Ohio Wesleyan University (AB 1924) and Kansas State Agricultural College (MS 1925). He spent t ...

(1903-1991). The species was named for American philanthropist and paleontological collector

Annie Montague Alexander Annie Montague Alexander (29 December 1867 - 10 September 1950) was an explorer, naturalist, paleontological collector, and philanthropist. She founded the University of California Museum of Paleontology (UCMP) and the Museum of Vertebrate Zoolo ...

Description

This is a rare plant

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 ...

Inyo County, California Inyo County () is a county in the eastern central part of the U.S. state of California, located between the Sierra Nevada and the state of Nevada. In the 2020 census, the population was 19,016. The county seat is Independence. Inyo County is ...

, where it is found on a single isolated dune system, the

Eureka Valley Sand Dunes Eureka Valley is located in Inyo County, in eastern California in the southwestern United States. It is approximately 28 miles (45 km) long and up to 10 miles (16 km) wide, with elevations varying from 2870 feet (875 m) up to 8456 feet ...

in the Eureka Valley of the

Mojave Desert The Mojave Desert ( ; mov, Hayikwiir Mat'aar; es, Desierto de Mojave) is a desert in the rain shadow of the Sierra Nevada mountains in the Southwestern United States. It is named for the indigenous Mojave people. It is located primarily in ...

, within Death Valley National Park.

Description

''Swallenia alexandrae'' is a coarse, tufted perennial grass which grows in sand from thick

rhizome In botany and dendrology, a rhizome (; , ) is a modified subterranean plant stem that sends out roots and shoots from its nodes. Rhizomes are also called creeping rootstalks or just rootstalks. Rhizomes develop from axillary buds and grow hori ...

s. Its stiffly erect clums, sharp-leafed grass, and erect pale-colored panicle inflorescences are diagnostic.

Endangered status

This is a federally listed

threatened species Threatened species are any species (including animals, plants and fungi) which are vulnerable to endangerment in the near future. Species that are threatened are sometimes characterised by the population dynamics measure of ''critical depensa ...

of the United States.Plant Conservation Report
/ref> The main threat to the species survival has been

off-roading Off-roading is the activity of driving or riding in a vehicle on unpaved surfaces such as sand, gravel, riverbeds, mud, snow, rocks, and other natural terrain. Types of off-roading range in intensity, from leisure drives with unmodified vehicl ...

, which is no longer permitted in its

habitat In ecology, the term habitat summarises the array of resources, physical and biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species habitat can be seen as the physical ...

. Trespassing off-roaders and campers are still a threat to the five remaining occurrences.The Nature Conservancy
/ref>

References

External links

Calflora Database: ''Swallenia alexandrae'' (Eureka Valley dune grass, Eureka dunegrass)Jepson Manual treatment for Swallenia alexandraeGrass Manual Profile''Swallenia alexandrae'' — UC Photos gallery
Chloridoideae Monotypic Poaceae genera Native grasses of California Endemic flora of California Flora of the California desert regions Natural history of the Mojave Desert Natural history of Inyo County, California ~ Threatened flora of California {{Chloridoideae-stub