Sporobolus virginicus
Sporobolus curtissii
marine couch, sand couch, seashore dropseed
Curtis' dropseed, Curtiss' dropseed
10-65 cm, erect to decumbent.
30-80(90) 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.
shiny and indurate basally, glabrous or appressed hairy elsewhere, hairs to 4 mm;
ligules 0.2-0.6 mm;
blades 5-22(28) cm long, 0.8-2(2.2) mm wide, flat to v-shaped in cross section, folded or involute when dry, green, remaining so well into winter, glabrous abaxially, mostly glabrous adaxially but densely pilose basally, margins glabrous or scabridulous.
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.
10-25 cm long, 2-10(13) cm wide, longer than wide, open (contracted when immature), not diffuse, pyramidal to ovate;
lower nodes with 1-2(3) branches;
primary branches 2-9(10) cm, ascending or spreading to 80° from the rachis, not capillary, without spikelets on the lower 1/3;
secondary branches mostly appressed;
pulvini glabrous or hairy;
pedicels 0.5-4(8) mm, usually shorter than the spikelets, appressed, glabrous.
(1.8)2-3.2 mm, yellowish-white to purplish-tinged, sometimes grayish.
3.5-6.6 mm, purplish-brown.
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.
equal to subequal, linear-lanceolate, membranous;
lower glumes (2.9)3.5-6.2 mm, 0.9-1.2(1.3) times as long as the upper glumes;
upper glumes 3.2-6.6 mm, from almost as long as to longer than the florets;
lemmas 3.4-4.5 mm, ovate to lanceolate, membranous, glabrous, acute;
paleas 3.4-4.5 mm, ovate, membranous, glabrous;
anthers 1.5-2.8 mm, yellow to purplish.
not known.
1.1-1.4 mm, fusiform, reddish-brown.
= 20, 30.
= unknown.
Sporobolus virginicus
Sporobolus curtissii
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 curtissii is restricted to the southeastern United States, where it grows in dry-mesic to moist flat-woods, in soils seasonally saturated at the surface or rather well-drained throughout the year. Its elevational range is 0-100 m.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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