1a. var. spicata (coastal salt grass)

Leaf sheaths sparsely to moderately hairy toward the tips. Leaf blades mostly slightly blunted at the tip. Inflorescences very dense, the inflorescence branches and spikelet stalks mostly not readily visible. Spikelets mostly 8–12 mm long, the staminate spikelets with 8–12 florets, the pistillate spikelets with 4–9 florets. Lower glume 1.7–3.0 mm long. Upper glume 2.4–4.0 mm long. Lemmas 3.5–4.5 mm long. Paleas relatively narrowly winged. 2n=40. August–October.

Uncommon, known only from Howard and Saline Counties (eastern and western U.S. and Canada, along the coasts; Missouri; Mexico, Central America, South America, Caribbean Islands). Saline marshes and seeps.

Steyermark (1963), who discovered var. spicata in central Missouri in 1938, treated it as the only native inland locality in the United States for this otherwise coastal taxon, based on the fact that it was part of a community of other native, salt‑tolerant species, several of which are uncommon in the state. These plants undoubtedly were dispersed into Missouri at some point in the past by migratory waterfowl.