Sporobolus virginicus

(L.) Kunth
Common names: Seashore dropseed
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 25. Treatment on page 121.
Revision as of 21:31, 16 December 2019 by FNA>Volume Importer

Plants perennial; rhizomatous, stoloniferous. Culms 10-65 cm, erect to decumbent. Sheaths 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. Panicles 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. Spikelets (1.8)2-3.2 mm, yellowish-white to purplish-tinged, sometimes grayish. Glumes 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. Fruits not known. 2n = 20, 30.

Distribution

Puerto Rico, Md., Miss., Tex., La., Virgin Islands, Ala., N.C., S.C., Va., Pacific Islands (Hawaii), Ga., Fla.

Discussion

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.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.
... more about "Sporobolus virginicus"
Paul M. Peterson +, Stephan L. Hatch +  and Alan S. Weakley +
(L.) Kunth +
Seashore dropseed +
Puerto Rico +, Md. +, Miss. +, Tex. +, La. +, Virgin Islands +, Ala. +, N.C. +, S.C. +, Va. +, Pacific Islands (Hawaii) +, Ga. +  and Fla. +
Gramineae +
Sporobolus virginicus +
Sporobolus +
species +