Welcome to Catnapin's

Grass Gallery

Poaceae, Chloridoideae, Eragrostideae - Dropseed (spike)

(Family, Subfamily, Tribe)

Waves of Grain Index - Grass

Previous Arrow    Wildflower Index     Next Arrow


 

              

 

tribe Eragrostideae

Puffsheath Dropseed Sporobolus neglectus

Short spike of appressed branches

Photos taken in Taylor County, Texas, September 2007

(Native of Texas - not in my area)

see similar   Purple Sandgrass

Base: Annual, clump grass, no rhizomes, no stolons (runner stem)

Blade (leaf): 3-12cm long, 2mm wide, tapered to slender point, sparse hairs, flat

Sheath: shorter than internode, somewhat inflated, 0.5-1.5(-2)mm wide, tiny hairy ligule

Culm (main grain stem): erect or partially decumbent, 40-40cm tall, branch at base

Terminal Inflorescence: appressed spike, 2-5cm long, often partially enclosed in sheath

Auxillary Inflorescence: from leaf nodes, appressed spike, shorter than terminal panicle, often entirely enclosed in sheath

Spikelet: 1.6-2.8mm long, short pedicels

Glume: about equal, shorter than spikelet, pointed

Lemma: 1 nerve, pointed, white or purple tinted, glabrous

Palea: about as long as Lemma, splitting as it dries

 


 

              

 

tribe Eragrostideae

Poverty Dropseed Sporobolus vaginiflorus

Short spike of appressed branches

(Native of Texas - Taylor, Brown)

Base: Annual, clump grass, no rhizomes, no stolons (runner stem)

Blade (leaf): lower blades 4.5-11cm long, upper blades 1-5cm long, 1-2mm wide, mostly glabrous, flat but rolling inward as it dries

Sheath: glabrous, tufts of long white hair at collar, tiny hairy ligule, shorter than internode

Culm (main grain stem): spreading erect, 15-55(-70)cm tall, short internodes

Inflorescence: terminal and from leaf nodes, appressed spike, 1-4cm long, 2-5mm wide, often enclosed in sheath

Glume: about equal, shorter than spikelet, 1.8-4.5mm long, pointed

Lemma: 1-3 nerves, pointed, purple tinted, appressed hairs

 


 

                 

 

tribe Eragrostideae

Composite Dropseed (Tall Dropseed) Sporobolus compositus var. compositus (Sporobolus asper var. asper)

Very similar to S. clandestinus except for smooth sheaths, longer inflorescence, shorter spikelets, smooth lemmas, and palea's length equal lemma.

Photos taken in Taylor County, Texas, September 2007

(Native of Texas - Taylor, Coleman, Brown)

Base: Perennial, clump grass, no rhizomes, no stolons (runner stem)

Blade (leaf): 5-40(-60)cm long, 2-4mm wide, flat but rolling inward as it dries, lower surface smooth with hairs near the base

Sheath: open, glabrous, lacking the tufts at the collar, ligule very tiny

Culm (main grain stem): erect to spreading, 45-130cm tall

Inflorescence: spike-like panicle can be terminal or come out of leaf axis, 5-26cm long, partly enclosed in sheath

Spikelet: 4.5-5.4mm long, flattened laterally, straw to purple tinged

Glume: 1 nerve, first is 2.6-3.5mm long, second 3.2-4.8mm long

Lemma: 1 nerve, pointed, 4.4-5.2mm long, glabrous

Paleas: 2 nerves, 3.9-4.9mm long, not pointed, equaling the length of lemma

Similar Species

Rough Dropseed (Hidden Dropseed) Sporobolus clandestinus (Sporobolus asper "variations")

Very similar to S. compositus except for hairy sheaths, shorter inflorescence, longer spikelets, hairy lemmas, tapering long paleas.

(Native of Texas - Brown)

Base: Perennial, clump grass, no rhizomes, no stolons (runner stem)

Blade (leaf): 3-37cm long, 1.8-2.3mm wide, flat but rolling inward as it dries, lower surface sometimes hairy

Sheath: open, upper ones glabrous, lower ones hairy near the top, lacking the tufts at the collar, ligule very tiny

Culm (main grain stem): erect to spreading, (30-)50-80(-100)cm tall

Inflorescence: spike-like panicle can be terminal or come out of leaf axis, 4-6cm long, usually enclosed in sheath

Spikelet: 6-6.7mm long, flattened laterally, straw color

Glume: 1 nerve, first is 3.4-4.4mm long, second 4.4-5.4mm long

Lemma: 1 nerve, tapering, 5.6-6mm long, appressed hairs near base of margins, purple spots

Paleas: 2 nerves, 3.6-4.5mm long, tapering, longer than lemma, up to 10mm long, appressed hairs

 


Other Species In My Area

Giant Dropseed Sporobolus giganteus

Spikes of very appressed branches.

(Native of Texas - not in my area)

Base: Perennial, clump grass, no rhizomes, no stolons (runner stem)

Blade (leaf): 20-50cm long, 3-8(-13) wide, folded or rolling inward, tapers to a long point

Sheath: round, ribbed, hair on margins at top, tiny hairy ligule

Culm (main grain stem): erect, 100-200cm tall, 3-6mm wide at base, glabrous

Inflorescence: spike-like panicle, partly enclosed in sheath, 25-70cm long, 0.8-4cm wide, pale and shiny, appressed branches

Spikelet: 2.6-3.2(-4)mm long

Glume: one nerve, first is 1-2mm long, second 2.6-3.2mm long

Lemma: 2.5-3.1mm long

 


Waves of Grain Index - Grass

Previous Arrow    Wildflower Index     Next Arrow

Email:
wildflowers"at"catnapin.com

to reduce spam, change "at" to @
please be specific

Home Page    IconWriting   Art Index   Martial Arts Index   Fossil Index   Critter Index   About Us   Links

Copyright Notice:  All photos are copyrighted and protected by the laws of the United States.
Unauthorized duplication for sale or distribution is prohibited.