Welcome to Catnapin's
Grass Gallery
Poaceae, Chloridoideae, Eragrostideae - Dropseed (spike)
(Family, Subfamily, Tribe)
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
Copyright Notice: All photos are copyrighted and protected by the laws of the United States.
Unauthorized duplication for sale or distribution is prohibited.