Grasses of Barbados - Poaceae (Sida, botanical miscellany)

The easternmost island in the Lesser Antilles, Barbados is a grassy botanical crossroads inhabited by plants whose affinities are African, Asian, South American, Mesoamerican, and endemically Antillean. This small, cosmopolitan island has hosted human and animal visitors for millennia. Even the earliest settlers, Amerindians emanating from South America, were agriculturists and mariners, and no doubt brought cultivated plants and weeds with them. Then came persons with African and European ancestry as well as sailors and vacationers from every corner of the earth. All brought livestock with grass-bearing fodder and manure, garden plants, and weeds. Moreover, seeds and fruits wash up on the white sand beaches; migratory birds pass through; and wind born dust descends from distant African storms. Not all the plants are newcomers. Despite being one of the worlds most densely populated nations, Barbados is still home to minimally disturbed gullies and forest remnants, including the well known biological localities Graeme Hall Swamp and Turner Hall Woods. Here persist species remaining from the pre-human flora. Thus the grass flora of Barbados is an intriguing medley. On the heels of the Sedges of Barbados, this work includes 79 grass species growing free from cultivation. Each is described and keyed, and many are illustrated with black and white photographs. Biological and distributional notes are included, as are useful field recognition characteristics, synonymy, and literature citations. Almost every species was collected by the authors between 1996 1999, and these collections along with historic specimens in the Barbados National Herbarium are cited for each species. A history of grass floristics in Barbados is provided along with references to relevant literature. Previously reported species that are no longer encountered and newcomers to the flora are highlighted. This is the first-ever grass flora for Barbados based on specimens and prepared in a manner consistent with modern standards. The work is indispensable for anyone concerned with the botany, ecology, natural history, agriculture, and horticulture in Barbados, and it will be useful on the numerous less-studied Caribbean islands. As conservation and eco-tourism increase in importance simultaneously with residential and resort development, such floristic studies will become increasingly useful. There is a strong and growing conservation movement in Barbados, yet the flora is inadequately known. Co-author Ayanda Holder is a Barbadian student, who will carry her knowledge of grasses into her leadership role. A goal of this book to help such Caribbean students, teachers, naturalists, and leaders promote the growing familiarity and fascination with the fragile and intriguing plant life of Barbados and the entire Caribbean.