Bitter panicum survival was generally liigher than sea oats. Of 70 plantings, 11 were over 

 75 percent; 24 over 50 percent; and 46 over 25 percent survival. In only 21 of 70 paired 

 plantings did the survival of sea oats exceed that of bitter panicum. This is one reason bitter 

 panicum is the better choice of the two species for transplanting. 



g. Selection of Transplants. Bitter panicum and sea oats were tested to determine if 

 variations in transplant material affected survival rates. These transplant variations included: 

 number of culms per clump, size of culm, and presence or absence of a root system for sea 

 oats; and size of culm, age of culm (tillers versus primary culms), and root system for bitter 

 panicum. 



(1) Sea Oats. During 1969-70, comparisons were made of the survival of sea oats 

 clumps, consisting of one, three, and six culms per clump, at 7-month intervals (Table 34). 

 Clump size had little influence on sea oats survival for the optimum January 1970 period. 



Table 34. Clump size versus survival of sea oats on 



Padre Island. 1 







Percent survival of clumps 





Culms per clump 



1969 



1970 



Total 





Oct. 



Nov. 



Dec. 



Jan. 



Feb. 



Mar. 



Apr. 





North Padre 



1 







5 



5 



79 



31 



12 



6 



20 a, b 2 



3 



10 



1 



13 



53 



32 



20 



5 



19 a, b 



6 



8 



4 



31 



77 



57 



27 



4 



30 a 



South Padre 



1 











2 



14 







1 



18 



5b 



3 











5 



29 



3 



1 



19 



8b 



6 











7 



29 



31 



1 



33 



14 a, b 



1. N = 150 clumps. 



2. Means sharing a common letter are not significantly different (Pq ,>.). 



The larger clumps did enhance survival for plantings made during less than optimum 

 conditions. When transplanting conditions were poor, plants survived poorly regardless of 

 clump size. The additional time and planting material required for multiculm clumps make 

 this an unattractive alternative, particularly since no advantage was obtained during the best 

 season and with the best planting conditions. 



In 1973-74, single-culm sea oats transplants were segregated into four discrete sizes and 

 planted over 7 months (Table 35). Size variation is attributable to culm age, although exact 

 figures are unknown. Three sizes, from very small to large, are in the same clump: the small 

 sizes are generally young tillers and the very small culms are usually very young (seedling) 



109 



