TIDBIT! Sand dunes are a vital ecosystem on the coast of South Carolina. They protect the mainland from storms and make suitable nesting habitats for shorebirds and sea turtles. It’s important to stay off the dunes while you’re visiting the beach so that you don’t disturb those habitats and so you don’t find yourself with painful puncture wounds from a dune sandbur! Belonging to the grass family, the dune sandbur’s branches can be 4 to 28” long. They contain small flowers that are enclosed in a spiny bur. The spines protect the plant from being disturbed and are a very practical seed dispersal mechanism. The spines are very unpleasant when stepped on and very difficult to remove due to the backward-pointing barbs. Despite their hazardous seed pods, dune sandburs are important structurally for the sand dune. Their network of roots provide support for the dune and allows sand to accumulate around them, therefore making the dune larger and more sturdy.
Posted on: Wed, 16 Jul 2014 19:00:01 +0000
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