Sporobolus virginicus
Sporobolus heterolepis
marine couch, sand couch, seashore dropseed
prairie dropseed, sporoboi.e a glumes inegales
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.
dull and fibrous basally, glabrous or sparcely pilose below, hairs to 4 mm, contorted;
ligules 0.1-0.3 mm;
blades 7-31 cm long, 1.2-2.5mm wide, flat to folded, glabrous abaxially, scabridulous adaxially, margins scabrous.
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.
5-22(25) cm long, (0.6)1-11 cm wide, open to somewhat contracted, longer than wide, narrowly pyramidal, not diffuse;
lower nodes with 1-2(3) branches;
primary branches 0.6-8(11) cm, appressed or spreading to 70° from the rachis, not capillary, without spikelets on the lower 1/3, pedicels 0.8-6 mm, appressed, occasionally spreading.
(1.8)2-3.2 mm, yellowish-white to purplish-tinged, sometimes grayish.
3-6 mm, 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, lanceolate, membranous;
lower glumes (1.2)1.8-4.5 mm;
upper glumes 2.4-6 mm, at least 2/3 as long as the florets, occasionally 3-veined;
lemmas (2.7)3-4.3 mm, ovate, membranous, glabrous, acute;
paleas 3.1-4.5 mm, slightly longer than the lemmas, ovate, membranous, glabrous;
anthers 1.7-3 mm, yellowish to purplish.
not known.
1.4-2.1 mm, pyriform to globose, indurate, without a loose pericarp, smooth, shining, light brown.
= 20, 30.
= 72.
Sporobolus virginicus
Sporobolus heterolepis
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 heterolepis grows at elevations of 40-2250 m, in lowland and upland prairies, along the borders of woods, roadsides, and swamps, and in north-facing swales. It is associated with many plant communities, and is also available commercially as an ornamental. It is restricted to the Flora region.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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