Poaceae
Sporobolus

Sporobolus spiciformis Swallen

First published in Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington 56: 78 (1943)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is NE. Mexico. It is a perennial and grows primarily in the desert or dry shrubland biome.

Descriptions

Morphology General Habit
Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect; 40-60 cm long. Culm-internodes distally glabrous. Leaf-sheaths longer than adjacent culm internode; without keel; glabrous on surface. Ligule a fringe of hairs; 0.3 mm long. Leaf-blades flexuous; flat, or involute; 7-12 cm long; 1-2 mm wide.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle. Panicle spiciform; linear; 9.5-13 cm long; 0.3-0.4 cm wide. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; subterete; 1.8-2 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; subterete; 1.8-2 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes deciduous; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 0.8-1.3 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; hyaline; without keels. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex entire, or erose; obtuse, or acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 0.8-1.3 mm long; 0.5 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex entire, or erose; obtuse, or acute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Fertile lemma lanceolate; 1.8-2 mm long; membranous; without keel; 1 -veined. Lemma apex erose; obtuse. Palea readily splitting down midline; 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels approximate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Anthers 1.3 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with free soft pericarp.
Distribution
North America: Mexico.
Reference
Eragrostideae. Swallen 2002.
[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: 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