Sporobolus virginicus

(L.) Kunth
Common names: Seashore dropseed
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 25. Treatment on page 121.

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.

"decumbent" is not a number.

... more about "Sporobolus virginicus"
quadrangular +, fusiform +, obovoid +  and ellipsoid +
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> (0.17 cm1.7 mm <br />0.0017 m <br />) +
Paul M. Peterson +, Stephan L. Hatch +  and Alan S. Weakley +
(L.) Kunth +
1 (?) +  and 3 (?) +
multiple +, , +  and single +
keeled +  and rounded +
pseudopetiolate +  and branching +
not fused +
intravaginal +, extravaginal +, branching +  and basal +
swelling +
membranous +
not pseudopetiolate +
4 cm40 mm <br />0.04 m <br /> (16 cm160 mm <br />0.16 m <br />) +
scabridulous +
flat +  and loosely involute +
0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br />) +
spikelike +
triangular +  and dome--shaped +
sometimes longer +
membranous +
Seashore dropseed +
erect +  and decumbent +
10 cm100 mm <br />0.1 m <br /> (65 cm650 mm <br />0.65 m <br />) +
not woody +
Puerto Rico +, Md. +, Miss. +, Tex. +, La. +, Virgin Islands +, Ala. +, N.C. +, S.C. +, Va. +, Pacific Islands (Hawaii) +, Ga. +  and Fla. +
not waisted +
capillary +
pistillate +  and staminate +
sometimes longer +
bisexual +  and fertile +
round +  and compressed +
reduced +
quadrangular +, fusiform +, obovoid +  and ellipsoid +
shorter or longer +
subtending +
ovate-oblong +
subequal +
membranous +
uncinate +
0 cm0 mm <br />0 m <br /> (0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br />) +
paniculate +  and racemose +
hollow +  and solid +
not absent +
acute +, ovate +  and lanceolate +
0.21 cm2.1 mm <br />0.0021 m <br /> (0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br />) +
membranous +
sometimes longer +
0.01 cm0.1 mm <br />1.0e-4 m <br /> (0.04 cm0.4 mm <br />4.0e-4 m <br />) +
inconspicuous +
0.15 cm1.5 mm <br />0.0015 m <br /> (0.24 cm2.4 mm <br />0.0024 m <br />) +
scabridulous +
concealed +  and prominent +
2 +  and 1 +
0.21 cm2.1 mm <br />0.0021 m <br /> (0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br />) +
membranous +
3cm +  and 10cm +
spikelike +
0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br /> (1.6 cm16 mm <br />0.016 m <br />) +
0.02 cm0.2 mm <br />2.0e-4 m <br /> (0.14 cm1.4 mm <br />0.0014 m <br />) +
mucilaginous +
adherent +  and free +
dry +  and fleshy +
0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br /> (2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br />) +
spikelike +
grayish +, yellowish-white +  and purplish-tinged +
1 +  and 60 +
rounded +  and laterally compressed +
0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (0.32 cm3.2 mm <br />0.0032 m <br />) +
1 +  and 3 +
compound +  and simple +
2 (?) +  and 3 (?) +
Gramineae +
Sporobolus virginicus +
Sporobolus +
species +
membranous +
0.18 cm1.8 mm <br />0.0018 m <br /> (0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br />) +
quadrangular +, fusiform +, obovoid +  and ellipsoid +
7 (?) +  and 13 (?) +
stoloniferous +  and rhizomatous +
aquatic +  and terrestrial +
dioecious +, monoecious +  and synoecious +