Alexfloydia facts for kids

Alexfloydia is a special type of perennial grass. This means it lives for more than two years. It is also stoloniferous, which means it spreads out along the ground using stems called stolons. This grass belongs to the Poaceae family, also known as the grass family.

This plant is endemic to coastal eastern New South Wales in Australia. "Endemic" means it is found only in this specific area and nowhere else in the world.

There is only one known species of this grass, called Alexfloydia repens. The genus was named to honor the person who discovered this species, an Australian botanist named Alexander Floyd (born in 1926).

What is Alexfloydia?

Alexfloydia repens is a type of grass that spreads out and forms a mat on the ground. It grows near brackish (slightly salty) and tidal waterways. These are areas that get flooded by very high tides, sometimes called "king tides."

Where Alexfloydia Lives

This grass often grows under Casuarina glauca trees. It is also part of a special plant group called the Swamp Oak Floodplain Forest. This forest is considered an Endangered Ecological Community. Currently, Alexfloydia repens is only found in a few places around the Coffs Harbour region in New South Wales.

Why Alexfloydia is Important

This special grass is listed as Endangered under the NSW Threatened Species Act. This means it is at high risk of disappearing forever if we don't protect it.

Alexfloydia repens is very important for a rare butterfly. It is the only plant that the caterpillars of the endangered Black grass-dart butterfly (Ocybadistes knightorum) eat. This means if the Alexfloydia repens grass disappears, the Black grass-dart butterfly would also be in great danger.

See also

In Spanish: Alexfloydia repens para niños