thumb|upright=0.75|Cordgrass in Pelham Bay salt marsh ([[Pelham Bay Park, The Bronx, New York)]]
Spartina is a section of the genus Sporobolus, plants in the grass family, frequently found in coastal salt marshes. It was first established as a separate genus in 1789, and reduced to a section in 2014. Species are commonly known as cordgrass or cord-grass, and are native to the coasts of the Atlantic Ocean in western and southern Europe, north-western and southern Africa, the Americas and the islands of the southern Atlantic Ocean; one or two species also occur on the western coast of North America and in freshwater habitats inland in the Americas. The highest species diversity is on the east coasts of North and South America, particularly Florida. They form large, often dense colonies, particularly on coastal salt marshes, and grow quickly. The species vary in size from 0.3–2 m tall. Many of the species will produce hybrids if they come into contact.
Taxonomy
In 2014, the taxon Spartina was subsumed into the genus Sporobolus and reassigned to the taxonomic status of section, but it may still be possible to see Spartina referred to as an accepted genus. In 2019, an interdisciplinary team of experts from all continents (except for Antarctica) coauthored a report published in the journal Ecology supporting Spartina as a genus.
The section name Spartina is derived from (), the Greek word for a cord made from Spanish broom (Spartium junceum).
Species
The following species are recognised in the section Spartina: This is particularly important in areas where invasive Spartina species significantly alter their new environment, with impacts to native plants and animals.
As an invasive species
Three of the species placed in Spartina have become invasive plants in some countries. In British Columbia, Sporobolus anglica, also known as English cordgrass, is an aggressive, aquatic alien that invades mud flats, salt marshes and beaches, out-competing native plants, spreading quickly over mud flats and leaving large Spartina meadows. It is also invasive in China and California.
Sporobolus alterniflorus and its hybrids with other Spartina species are invasive in numerous locations around the globe, including China, California, England, France, and Spain.
Cultivation
Species of the section Spartina have been planted to reclaim estuarine areas for farming, to supply fodder for livestock, and to prevent erosion. Various members of the genus (especially Sporobolus alterniflorus and its derivatives, Sporobolus anglicus and Sporobolus × townsendii) have spread outside of their native boundaries and become invasive.
Big cordgrass (S. cynosuroides) is used in the construction of bull's eye targets for sports archery. A properly constructed target can stop an arrow safely without damage to the arrowhead as it lodges in the target.