Table 7. Dominant plant species of four major plant communities, north Padre Island. 



August 1971 



Importance 

 Index 



August 1973 



Importance 

 Index 



Backshore 



Ipomoea Pes-caprae 



53 



Ipomoea stolonifera 



371 







Sesuvium portulacastrum 



299 







Ipomoea Pes-caprae 



113 







Amaranthus Greggii 



25 







Sporobolus virginicus 



19 







Spartina patens 



13 



Foreslope of Foredune 



Uniola paniculata 



1,159 



Ipomoea stolonifera 



1,411 



Ipomoea stolonifera 



899 



Uniola paniculata 



714 



Croton punctatus 



765 



Croton punctatus 



249 



Ipomoea Pes-caprae 



19 



Oenothem Drummondii 



24 



Physalis viscosa 



14 



Senecio Riddellii 



18 







Cassia fasciculata 



11 



Mid-dune 



Uniola paniculata 



2,549 



Uniola paniculata 



908 



Paspalum monostachyum 



1,578 



Paspalum monostachyum 



740 



Physalis viscosa 



125 



Senecio Riddellii 



525 



Senecio Riddellii 



95 



Physalis viscosa 



127 



Ambrosia psilostachya 



66 



Ipomoea stolonifera 



76 



Ipomoea stolonifera 



58 



Paspalum setaceum 



74 



Oenothera Drummondii 



38 



Oenothera Drummondii 



67 



Croton punctatus 



37 



Cyperus esculentus 



48 



Paspalum setaceum 



36 



Ambrosia psilostachya 



29 



Leptoloma cognatum 



31 



Leptoloma cognatum 



25 



Panicum spp. 



12 



Schizachyrium scoparium 



13 







Hydrocotyle bonariensis 



11 







Vaseyochloa multinervosa 



10 



Mid-island 



Paspalum monostachyum 



2,024 



Paspalum monostachyum 



949 



Panicum spp. 



1,035 



Panicum lanuginosum 



876 



Panicum angustifolium 



441 



Andropogon virginicus 



441 



Schizachyrium scoparium 



266 



Panicum angustifolium 



124 



Baptisia leucophaea 



156 



Xyris Jupicai 



98 



Spartina patens 



43 



Stylosanthes viscosa 



86 



Hydrocotyle bonariensis 



22 



Paspalum setaceum 



53 



Dichrontena colorata 



14 



Spartina patens 



52 







Centella asiatica 



33 







Croton capitatus 



26 







Fimbristylis caroliniana 



20 







Erigeron myrionactis 



17 







Croptilon divaricatum 



10 



1. Species with an Importance Index ^ 10. Product of relative frequency (percent) 

 times percent cover (Table 8); maximum = 10,000. 



2. Probably P. lanuginosum, P. sphaerocarpon, and P. portoricense. 



3. Confused with Andropogon virginicus, the dominant bluestem in this area in 1973. 



39 



