Sporobolus durus
Encyclopedia
Sporobolus durus was a species of grass
in the Poaceae
family, found only on Ascension Island
. It is extinct due to overgrazing
and displacement by invasive weeds. Its date of extinction is unknown; it was last recorded in 1886 but not looked for dedicatedly until 1998.
Grass
Grasses, or more technically graminoids, are monocotyledonous, usually herbaceous plants with narrow leaves growing from the base. They include the "true grasses", of the Poaceae family, as well as the sedges and the rushes . The true grasses include cereals, bamboo and the grasses of lawns ...
in the Poaceae
Poaceae
The Poaceae is a large and nearly ubiquitous family of flowering plants. Members of this family are commonly called grasses, although the term "grass" is also applied to plants that are not in the Poaceae lineage, including the rushes and sedges...
family, found only on Ascension Island
Ascension Island
Ascension Island is an isolated volcanic island in the equatorial waters of the South Atlantic Ocean, around from the coast of Africa and from the coast of South America, which is roughly midway between the horn of South America and Africa...
. It is extinct due to overgrazing
Overgrazing
Overgrazing occurs when plants are exposed to intensive grazing for extended periods of time, or without sufficient recovery periods. It can be caused by either livestock in poorly managed agricultural applications, or by overpopulations of native or non-native wild animals.Overgrazing reduces the...
and displacement by invasive weeds. Its date of extinction is unknown; it was last recorded in 1886 but not looked for dedicatedly until 1998.
Source
- Gray, A. 2003. Sporobolus durus. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Downloaded on 20 July 2007.