Sporobolus virginicus
Sporobolus giganteus
marine couch, sand couch, seashore dropseed
giant dropseed
10-65 cm, erect to decumbent.
100-200 cm, (3)4-10 mm thick near the base.
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.
rounded below, striate, margins hairy distally, apices with conspicuous tufts of hairs, hairs to 2 mm;
ligules 0.5-1.5 mm;
blades 10-50 cm long, (3)4-10(13) mm wide, flat, glabrous on both surfaces, margins whitish, 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.
all terminal, 25-75 cm long, 1-4 cm wide, spikelike, dense, usually included in the uppermost sheath;
lower nodes with 1-2(3) branches;
primary branches mostly 0.5-6 cm, appressed or spreading to 30° from the rachis, spikelet-bearing to the base;
secondary branches appressed;
pulvini glabrous;
pedicels 0.5-2 mm, appressed.
(1.8)2-3.2 mm, yellowish-white to purplish-tinged, sometimes grayish.
2.5-3.5(4) mm, whitish to plumbeous.
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.
unequal, narrowly lanceolate, membranous, prominently keeled;
lower glumes 0.6-2 mm;
upper glumes 2-3.5(4) mm, subequal to the lemmas;
lemmas 2.5-3.5(4) mm, linear-lanceolate, membranous, glabrous, acute;
paleas 2.4-3.4(3.8) mm, linear-lanceolate, membranous, glabrous;
anthers 0.6-1 mm, yellowish.
not known.
0.8-1.7 mm, ellipsoid, light yellowish-brown, sometimes translucent.
= 20, 30.
= 36.
Sporobolus virginicus
Sporobolus giganteus
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 giganteus grows in sand dunes and sandy areas along rivers and roadsides, at elevations from 100-1830 m. Its range extends from the southwestern United States into northern Mexico.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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