Sporobolus compositus

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Sporobolus compositus, the composite dropseed[2] or tall dropseed, is a native North American prairie grass growing from two to four feet tall. Also called rough dropseed and meadow dropseed, it is common on the Great Plains, and found in most states in the United States.

Tall dropseed
1913 illustration
S. compositus var. compositus[1]
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Clade: Commelinids
Order: Poales
Family: Poaceae
Subfamily: Chloridoideae
Genus: Sporobolus
Species:
S. compositus
Binomial name
Sporobolus compositus
(Poir.) Merr.
Varieties
  • S. c. var. compositus
  • S. c. var. drummondii
  • S. c. var. macer
Synonyms
Sporobolus asper
(Beauv.) Kunth

It flowers from August to September. The name derives from the readily falling grain. Dropseed has little value as food; its palatability decreases with its age.

References

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  1. ^ Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913. An illustrated flora of the northern United States, Canada and the British Possessions. Vol. 1: 196.
  2. ^ USDA, NRCS (n.d.). "​Sporobolus compositus​". The PLANTS Database (plants.usda.gov). Greensboro, North Carolina: National Plant Data Team. Retrieved 27 November 2015.
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