Sporobolus virginicus
Sporobolus compositus
marine couch, sand couch, seashore dropseed
composite dropseed, rough dropseed, sporobole rude, tall dropseed
10-65 cm, erect to decumbent.
(20)30-130(150) cm.
overlapping, margins ciliate, apices with tufts of hairs, hairs to 2 mm;
ligules 0.1-0.4 mm;
blades usually conspicuously distichous, 4-16 cm long, 2-5 mm wide, flat to loosely involute, glabrous abaxially, scabridulous adaxially, margins scabridulous.
with sparsely hairy apices, hairs to 3 mm;
ligules 0.1-0.5 mm;
blades not conspicuously distichous, 5-70 cm long, 1.5-10 mm wide, flat, folded, or involute, abaxial surface glabrous or pilose, adaxial surface glabrous or scabridulous, margins glabrous.
3-10 cm long, 0.4-1.6 cm wide, contracted, spikelike, dense;
primary branches 0.5-2 cm, appressed, spikelet-bearing to the base;
pedicels 0.2-1.4 mm, appressed.
terminal and axillary, 5-30 cm long, 0.4-1.6 cm wide, usually spikelike, partially included in the uppermost sheath, with 15-90 spikelets per cm2 (exposed portion, when pressed);
lower nodes with 1-2(3) branches;
primary branches 0.4-6 cm, appressed, spikelet-bearing to the base;
secondary branches appressed;
pulvini glabrous;
pedicels 0.3-3.5 mm, appressed, glabrous or scabridulous.
(1.8)2-3.2 mm, yellowish-white to purplish-tinged, sometimes grayish.
4-6(10) mm, stramineous to purplish-tinged.
subequal, ovate-oblong, membranous;
lower glumes 1.5-2.4 mm;
upper glumes 1.8-3(3.2) mm;
lemmas 2.1-3 mm, ovate to lanceolate, membranous, glabrous, acute;
paleas 2.1-3 mm, ovate, membranous;
anthers 3, 1-1.7 mm, yellowish.
subequal, lanceolate, membranous to chartaceous, midveins usually greenish;
lower glumes (1.2)2-4 mm;
upper glumes (2)2.5-5(6) mm, slightly shorter or longer than the lemmas;
lemmas (2.2)3-6(10) mm, lanceolate, membranous to chartaceous and hyaline, glabrous, smooth, occasionally 2- or 3-veined, acute to obtuse;
paleas (2.2)3-6(10) mm, ovate to lanceolate, membranous;
anthers 0.2-3.2 mm, yellow to orangish.
not known.
1-2 mm, ellipsoid, laterally flattened, often striate, reddish-brown;
pericarps gelatinous, slipping from the seeds when wet.
= 20, 30.
= 54, 88, 108.
Sporobolus virginicus
Sporobolus compositus
Sporobolus virginicus grows on sandy beaches, sand dunes, and in saline habitats, primarily along the south-eastern coast, occasionally inland. Its range extends through Mexico and Central America to Peru, Chile, and Brazil. No fruits of this species have been found despite examination of several natural populations and over 200 herbarium specimens.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Sporobolus compositus grows along roadsides and railroad right of ways, on beaches, and in cedar glades, pine woods, live oak-pine forests, prairies, and other partially disturbed, semi-open sites at 0-1600 m. Its range lies entirely within the Flora region.
The Sporobolus compositus complex is a difficult assemblage of forms, perhaps affected by their primarily autogamous breeding system (Riggins 1977). Asexual proliferation via rhizomes adds to the species' ability to maintain local population structure and to perpetuate unique character combinations.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
1. Rhizomes present | var. macer |
1. Rhizomes absent. | → 2 |
2. Culms slender, 1-2(2.5) mm thick; upper sheaths usually less than 2.5 mm wide; panicles with 16-36 spikelets per cm2 when pressed | var. drummondii |
2. Culms stout, 2-5 mm thick; upper sheaths usually 2.6-6 mm wide; panicles with 30-90 spikelets per cm2 when pressed | var. compositus |
- Local floras:
BC, 
WA - Local Web sites:
Flora NW, 
Go Botany, 
IL Wildflowers, 
KS Wildflowers, 
LA Plants, 
MD Biodiversity, 
MI Flora, 
MN Wildflowers, 
MO Plants, 
PNW Herbaria 
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist (observations)
USDA Plants Database- LBJ Wildflower Center
- SEINet
- Plants of the World Online
- Encyclopedia of Life
- Wikipedia
- Google Image Search
