GFMG: A Ground Cover Plant for Tropical Beaches - Essay Sample

Introduction

This plant species grows in tropical beaches across the world. In the US, GFMG is common in the tropical dunes of Texas. The growing conditions of GFMG are the presence of full sun and temperatures ranging between 15 °F and 20 °F. In terms of its ecological importance, GFMG provides ground cover, which is essential for the control of soil erosion. How this plant spread on white sand makes it a useful ground cover (see figure 1). The primitive cultures used GFMG for medicinal purposes as this plant could relive bites and stings from insects and snakes. Also, it was a cure for ringworms, skin infections, and boils.

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Figure 1: Goat’s Foot Morning Glory

Beach Morning Glory (BMG)

BMG is distributed in the Maldives, Indian, and Atlantic Oceans. In the US, they are found on beaches from Georgia, across Florida and up to Texas. For BMG to grow, there must be sandy beaches with well-draining soils. This plant species is used as a ground cover to prevent soil erosion. Primitive cultures used BMG as famine food that could only be eaten in small amounts. Besides, it had a medicinal value as it could combat headaches.

Figure 2: Beach Morning Glory

Shore Dropseed

These plants mostly grow in coastal dune habitats (see figure 3). Shore dropseed does best in coastal dunes where the level of water fluctuates six inches below the water surface and two inches above the water surface. This plant is native to the continental United States and, it occurs in southern parts of Monroe County, Maryland west to Texas, and the southeastern US. For it to grow, it requires full sun and wet to moist soil with low to moderate nutrients. Again, the soil should have moderate drainage. This plant species is important because it provides ground cover in coastal areas, primarily as dune stabilizers. Shore dropseed was a traditional medicine for primitive cultures that was applied to snake bites and wounds.

Figure 3: Shore Dropseed

Bitter Panicum

It is a large grassy plant that occurs along the coastal regions of South and North Carolina, Louisiana, Florida, Georgia, New Jersey, New York, and Mississippi. The presence of dunes with low freshwater moisture is necessary for its growth. This plant has an extensive root system that stabilizes sand. Again, its aboveground parts act as windbreakers that prevent loose sand from being carried away by the wind. Creek Indians took leaves of this plant to relieve fever caused by malaria, while Cherokee used its stem to pad the inside of their moccasins.

Figure 4: Bitter Panicum

Sea Purselane

This plant species is native to Florida, and it has a continuous distribution exclusively along North America’s coastline. To be precise, it grows in the shore stretching from Rhode Island to Mexico, including the islands of Oklahoma and Kansa. The plant’s growing conditions are the presence of wetlands, dunes, full light and sandy, well-drained soil. Sea purse being a spreading plant is used to stabilize dunes and control soil erosion. In the past, sea purselane was a source of food for traditional foragers since its leaves were edible.

Figure 5: Sea Purselane

Beach Tea / Beach Croton

These plants mostly grow on the coastline of Alabama, Florida, and Texas. They are also found in coastal regions of the Southeastern US to the Caribbean and Colombia coastal uplands. Its growing conditions are the presence of well-drained, moist sandy soil with little or no humus. In coastal uplands, this plant is used as an accent shrub. Also, it is integral to habitat restoration projects as it helps prevent soil erosion.

Figure 6: Beach Tea

Wild White-Stemmed Indigo (WWSI)

WWSI is common in eastern and north-central Texas. WWSI’s species found in Texas extend into the eastern United States, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Louisiana. The growing requirements for WWSI are sandy or sandy loam soil, and moist to slightly dry soil. Also, its preference is full sun. This plant has deep roots, implying that it is a good soil stabilizer. Also, it is herb as it is used to make medicine for health conditions like the common cold. The Cherokee native community used WWSI to dye their clothes.

Figure 7: Wild White-Stemmed Indigo

Beach Evening Primrose (BEP)

This subshrub plant is native to California. It is only found along the immediate coastline from northern parts of Baja to central Oregon. Precisely, it is distributed across Mexico, Texas, Missouri, Kansas, and Oklahoma. This geographic area has an elevation of 500 feet. BEP grows naturally in beaches, suggesting that it only needs well-drained sandy soil with minimum water and full sunlight to grow. It is a source of food since it has nutritious edible roots and leaves. Ojibwas, Potawatomi, Cherokee, and Iroquois, among other Native American tribes, cooked BEP’S leaves and boiled its roots for food.

Figure 8: Beach Evening Primrose

Partridge Pea

This plant is distributed throughout the southern, eastern, and Midwest United States. It requires average to dry conditions, preference of full sun, and soil that contains gravel or sand. In the context of ecological use, partridge pea is used to stabilize soil along banks and ditches. Also, it is used to add nitrogen to the soil. Cherokee used this plant as sports medicine and a stimulant while Seminole used it to hasten the ripening of persimmons.

Figure 9: Partridge Pea

Sea Ox-eye Daisy (SOD)

SOD is native to Mexico and the US, and it grows along the Gulf and Atlantic Coasts. Its distribution extends from west to Texas to Florida and South of Maryland. SOD’s growth requirements are temperatures 77-95ºF, full sun to light shade, and soil with organic content. SOD is essential ecologically as it provides cover and a moderate amount of food for wildlife. An interesting fact about SOD is that some of its seeds can remain viable for up to four decades.

Figure 10: Sea Ox-eye Daisy

Sea Oats

This plant is found on barrier islands and beach fronts along the United States eastern seaboard from Florida to Virginia. Its range extends along the southern coastline of Texas into the Gulf States. For it to grow, it requires acid to alkaline sandy soil. This plant is used as an ornamental grass and shoreline stabilizer because of its effectiveness in preventing soil erosion during tropical storms and hurricanes. An interesting thing about this plant is that Native American tribes grounded and stored their seeds for making bread during winter.

Figure 11: Sea Oats

Cord Grass

The distribution of cordgrass in the US extends from Florida to Southern Texas and the Gulf Mexico. This plant does best in seasonally dry sites and poorly drained soil. Ecologically, it is essential because it provides good cover for small mammals, game birds, and songbirds. Besides, it is used for erosion control and restoration of wetlands affected by prolonged floods. Pioneers of the United States used cordgrass to thatch lodges.

Figure 12: Cordgrass

Penny Wort

This plant occurs in tropical and temperate areas of the world. It is distributed across Texas, Alabama, Florida, West Virginia, and South Carolina, among other southeastern regions of the US. Its growing conditions are the existence of slow-moving rivers in wetlands and temperatures between 22 and 26°C. Floating pennyworts help prevent the natural erosion deposition process. Notably, pioneer tribes used pennywort to speed the healing of wounds.

Figure 13: Penny Wort

Glass Wort

The native habits for this plant are both inland and coastal salt marshes. It is found on the coast of Texas, California, Louisiana, and Georgia. This plant species is local to Michigan, Ohio, and Illinois. It requires areas with high salinity and full sun, among other conditions. Ecologically, glasswort is used to remove selenium from soil. In traditional societies, dried and burnt parts of this plant were used to make classes since it had large quantities of potash.

Figure 14: Glasswort

Salt Wort

Salt work plants are native to Texas, North and South Carolina, Florida, Virgin Islands, Alabama, and Mississippi. Its growth requirements are saline wetlands, water table three feet of the surface, and heavy clay soil. Also, the range of soil salinity is between 2.5 and 4.7%. Ecologically, it provides food since its young stems and leaves are edible. Interestingly, salt worts are now native in many parts of the US, except in Hawaii, where the plant is invasive.

Figure 15: Salt Wort

Silver Leaf Sunflower (SLS)

These plants are native to the coastal state of Texas, and they are distributed across North Carolina, Florida, and other parts of North American with an elevation below 900 meters. For optimum growth, SLS needs full sun in average and dry, well-drained soil. SLS are cultivated as garden plants or ornamental besides to attract birds and butterflies. Also, SLL has been a food plant in the US. An exciting thing about SLS is that Indian Americans selected large seeds repeatedly, thus changing the genetic composition of the plant gradually.

Figure 16: Silver Leaf Sunflower

Salt-Flat Grass (SFG)

SFG is found along the Gulfs of Mexico, the coasts of the Pacific, and Atlantic Oceans. For SFG to grow, there must be alkaline conditions. Ecologically, it is used as pasture for livestock, wetland restoration, and a larval food plant. Its interesting fact is that Miles Pharmaceutical uses this plant to make medicine for treating allergies.

Figure 17: Salt-Flat Grass

Turtle Grass

This plant is found off the coast of Florida, and it extends along the US coastline throughout the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico. Vital growth requirements for turtle grass are muddy or sandy soil and shallow waters. In terms of its ecological use, it provides habitat and food for marine organisms. These plants form meadows, which are essential feeding grounds.

Figure 18: Turtle Grass

Shoal Grass (Halodule)

Halodule’s distribution ranges from North Carolina to the Caribbean through the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic coasts. In this regard, it is found in states of Louisiana, Maryland, Texas, Florida, North Carolina, and Alabama. Its most vital growing requirements are estuarine and saline waters. It is useful ecologically, as it provides shelter to marine life and food resources to fish. Being a pioneer seagrass, traditional communities used it to make suffering seabeds.

Figure 19: Shoal Grass

Widgeon Grass

This aquatic plant grows along the east coast of Texas, and it extends to Barnegat Bay in the Atlantic Ocean. It does well in brackish, but it requires shallow waters for it to grow. Also, it requires silty, muddy, or sandy bottoms. This plant is a source of food as well as a habitat for shorebirds such as ducks. Besides, it prevents shoreline erosion by acting as a ground cover. Widgeon grass, notably, is the primary food provider for shoal fowl.

Figure 20: Widgeon Grass...