Poaceae
Sporobolus

Sporobolus tenuissimus (Mart. ex Schrank) Kuntze

First published in Revis. Gen. Pl. 3(2): 369 (1898)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is S. Mexico to Tropical America. It is an annual and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome. It is has environmental uses.

Descriptions

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]

Distribution
Biogeografic region: Amazonia, Andean, Guiana Shield, Caribbean, Orinoquia, Pacific. Elevation range: 0–2000 m a.s.l. Native to Colombia. Colombian departments: Amazonas, Antioquia, Arauca, Atlántico, Bolívar, Boyacá, Caldas, Caquetá, Casanare, Cauca, Cesar, Chocó, Córdoba, Cundinamarca, Guaviare, Huila, La Guajira, Magdalena, Meta, Norte de Santander, Putumayo, Quindío, Risaralda, San Andrés y Providencia, Santander, Tolima, Valle del Cauca, Vichada.
Habit
Herb.
Conservation
National Red List of Colombia (2021): Potential LC.
Ecology
Habitat according IUCN Habitats Classification: native grassland, artificial - terrestrial.
[UPFC]

M. Thulin et al. Flora of Somalia, Vol. 1-4 [updated 2008] https://plants.jstor.org/collection/FLOS

Morphology General Habit
Weak annual up to 80 cm high
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Panicle narrowly oblong, 10–40 cm long, very delicate and effuse, the branches and pedicels capillary
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets 0.8–1.1 mm long; lower glume oblong, raggedly truncate, 0.1–0.3 mm long; upper glume ovate-oblong, subacute, about 1/2 the length of the spikelet; lemma ovate, as long as the spikelet; anthers 3, 0.1–0.2 mm long
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Grain obovoid, 0.4–0.5 mm long, truncate.
Distribution
S2 tropical Africa, tropical Asia eastwards to Myanmar and tropical America.
[FSOM]

Morphology General Habit
Annual. Culms geniculately ascending; 18-80 cm long. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades 5-20 cm long; 2-5 mm wide.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle. Panicle open; oblong; effuse; 10-40 cm long; 2-6 cm wide. Panicle branches capillary; glabrous in axils. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels filiform.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; subterete; 0.8-1 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; subterete; 0.8-1 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes deciduous; dissimilar; shorter than spikelet; gaping. Lower glume oblong; 0.1-0.2 mm long; 0.3-0.4 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex erose; truncate. Upper glume ovate; 0.3-0.5 mm long; 0.3-0.5 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels; 1 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Fertile lemma ovate; 0.8-1 mm long; membranous; without keel; 1 -veined. Lemma apex acute. Palea 2 -veined. Palea keels approximate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Anthers 3; 0.1-0.2 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with free soft pericarp; obovoid; 0.4-0.5 mm long.
Distribution
Africa: Macaronesia, west tropical, west-central tropical, northeast tropical, east tropical, southern tropical, and western Indian ocean. Asia-temperate: Arabia and eastern Asia. Asia-tropical: India and Malesia. Pacific: south-central. North America: Mexico. South America: Mesoamericana, Caribbean, northern South America, western South America, and Brazil.
Reference
Eragrostideae. FTEA.
[GB]

The Useful Plants of Boyacá project

Ecology
Alt. 0 - 2000 m.
Morphology General Habit
Herb.
Conservation
Least concern.
Distribution
Native from Colombia.
[UPB]

Bernal, R., G. Galeano, A. Rodríguez, H. Sarmiento y M. Gutiérrez. 2017. Nombres Comunes de las Plantas de Colombia. http://www.biovirtual.unal.edu.co/nombrescomunes/

Vernacular
pelo de vieja
[UNAL]

Bernal, R., Gradstein, S.R. & Celis, M. (eds.). 2015. Catálogo de plantas y líquenes de Colombia. Instituto de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá. http://catalogoplantasdecolombia.unal.edu.co

Distribution
Nativa en Colombia; Alt. 0 - 2000 m.; Amazonia, Andes, Guayana y Serranía de La Macarena, Islas Caribeñas, Llanura del Caribe, Orinoquia, Pacífico, Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Valle del Cauca, Valle del Magdalena.
Morphology General Habit
Hierba
Conservation
Preocupación Menor
[CPLC]

Uses

Use Environmental
Environmental uses.
[UPFC]

Use Environmental
Environmental uses (State of the World's Plants 2016).
[UPB]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

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

  • Catálogo de Plantas y Líquenes de Colombia

    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Colombian resources for Plants made Accessible

    • ColPlantA 2021. Published on the Internet at http://colplanta.org
    • https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

  • Flora of Somalia

    • Flora of Somalia
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • 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

    • 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 2026. 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 2026. 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

  • Kew Science Photographs

    • Copyright applied to individual images

  • Universidad Nacional de Colombia

    • ColPlantA database
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Useful Plants and Fungi of Colombia

    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Useful Plants of Boyacá Project

    • ColPlantA database
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0