Poaceae
Sporobolus

Sporobolus brevipilis (Torr.) P.M.Peterson

First published in Taxon 63: 1233 (2014)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is New Jersey to South Carolina. It is a perennial and grows primarily in the temperate biome.

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]

Morphology General Habit
Perennial. Rhizomes short. Butt sheaths coriaceous; glossy; persistent and investing base of culm; with compacted dead sheaths. Culms 100-150 cm long. Leaf-sheaths 15-30 cm long. Ligule a fringe of hairs; 1-2 mm long. Leaf-blades persistent, or deciduous at the ligule; 25-50 cm long; 2-5 mm wide. Leaf-blade apex filiform.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle. Panicle open; lanceolate, or ovate; 8-40 cm long; 4-20 cm wide. Primary panicle branches ascending, or spreading; 8-17 cm long. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels glabrous, or ciliate; hairy at tip.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 4-5.8 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus bearded. Floret callus hairs 1.5 mm long; 0.25-0.5 length of lemma.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 4-5.8 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus bearded. Floret callus hairs 1.5 mm long; 0.25-0.5 length of lemma.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume ovate; 1.7-4.1 mm long; 0.5-0.8 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 3.3-5 mm long; 0.8-0.9 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Fertile lemma obovate; 4-5.4 mm long; membranous; keeled; 1 -veined. Lemma surface pubescent. Lemma apex acute. Palea oblong; 1.1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels distant but flanking a median depression; pubescent.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Anthers 3; 2.4-3.2 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with free soft pericarp.
Distribution
North America: northeast USA and southeast .
Reference
Eragrostideae. Thieret.
[GB]

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

    • 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