Poaceae
Sporobolus

Sporobolus curtissii Small ex Kearney

First published in Bull. Div. Agrostol. U.S.D.A. 1: 24 (1895)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is SE. U.S.A. It is a perennial and grows primarily in the subtropical biome.

Descriptions

Morphology General Habit
Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect; 30-70 cm long. Leaf-sheaths keeled; glabrous on surface. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades flexuous; flat, or involute; 15-30 cm long; 0.5-1 mm wide; stiff. Leaf-blade surface glabrous; hairless except near base.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle. Panicle open; pyramidal; 7-20 cm long; contracted about primary branches. Primary panicle branches ascending; 1-2 -nate; 4-7 cm long. Panicle axis smooth, or scaberulous. Panicle branches bearded in axils. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; subterete; 4.5 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; subterete; 4.5 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes deciduous; reaching apex of florets. Lower glume lanceolate; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; purple; without keels. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume elliptic; 1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; purple; without keels; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acuminate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Fertile lemma ovate; 4.5 mm long; membranous; without keel; 1 -veined. Lemma apex acute. Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels approximate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with free soft pericarp.
Distribution
North America: southeast USA.
Reference
Eragrostideae. N Amer Fl 1994.
[GB]

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation
Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora

    • Clayton, W.D., Vorontsova, M.S., Harman, K.T. and Williamson, H. (2006 onwards). GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora.
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • 'The Herbarium Catalogue, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet http://www.kew.org/herbcat [accessed on Day Month Year]'. Please enter the date on which you consulted the system.
    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2025. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2025. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0