Grass  (Sporobolus caespitosus)

Sporobolus caespitosus is classified as Vulnerable (VU) on the IUCN Red List (1).

Sporobolus caespitosus is a small, perennial grass that is native to Ascension Island (2). Plants grow together in short, thick tufts in which many of the outer leaves are dead and the flower spike is usually hidden amongst the leaf blades (2).

Endemic to Ascension Island in the South Atlantic, this species is now restricted to the exposed sides of Green Mountain (3).

This species inhabits some of the more exposed sites, such as bare rock slopes and steep cinder banks. It is found at altitudes greater than 600 metres above sea level (2).

Information currently unavailable.

It is thought that Sporobolus caespitosus was previously more abundant than it is today. It may be suffering from competition with introduced species, such as the grasses Sporobolus africanus, Melinis minutiflora and Paspalum conjungatum (3).

Ascension Conservation is involved with monitoring the population of this rare grass and will be in a position to assess the effects of competition (3).