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• Sporobolus clandestinus

Sporobolus clandestinus — hidden dropseed

Facts

Although it is common in the southeastern United States, hidden dropseed is very rare in New England, where it has been collected only in Connecticut, on ledges, ridges and rocky slopes.

Habitat

Cliffs, balds, or ledges, ridges or ledges, talus and rocky slopes, woodlands

Characteristics

• Flowers

  Anther length

  2.2–1.8 mm

  Anther number

  2–3

  Awn on glume

  the glume has no awn

  Floret lower bract texture

  the lemma is thin and flexible

  Floret types within spikelet

  all the florets within a spikelet are similar

  Glume relative length

  neither glume is quite as long as all of the florets

  Glume veins

  • 0
  • 1

  Inflorescence arrangement

  the spikelets are uniform

  Inflorescence axis orientation

  the inflorescence axis is straight

  Inflorescence branches

  • the flowers are attached to branches rather than to the main axis of the inflorescence
  • there are no branch points between the base of the inflorescence axis and the flowers, or they are not obvious

  Inflorescence length

  50–110 mm

  Inflorescence type (general)

  • the inflorescence is a spike, or is spike-like, lacking obvious branches
  • the spikelets are borne on stalks or on branches

  Inflorescence type (specific)

  the inflorescence is branched, and the branches do NOT both grow from the same side of the plant AND look like spikes

  Lemma awn base

  NA

  Lemma awn length

  0 mm

  Lemma awn number

  the lemma has no awn

  Lemma cross-section

  the lemma is flat or rounded if you cut across the midpoint

  Lemma hairs

  • the lemma has fine hairs between the veins
  • the lemma is hairless between the veins

  Lemma surface

  the surface of the lemma is relatively smooth (not counting any longitudinal veins or hairs)

  Lemma tip

  the lemma tip is a simple point, with or without an awn (long narrow extension ending in a point)

  Lemma vein number

  1

  One or more florets

  there is more than one floret per spikelet

  Palea relative length

  palea is longer than lemma

  Spikelet axis tip

  there is no extension of the spikelet axis beyond the tip of the spikelet

  Spikelet length

  4–10 mm

  Spikelets spiny

  the spikelets do not appear spiny

  Upper glume shape

  the upper glume is widest at or below the middle

• Fruits or seeds

  Seed length

  1.5–3.5 mm

• Growth form

  Lifespan

  the plant lives more than two years

• Leaves

  Leaf auricles

  the leaves do not have auricles

  Leaf blade cross-section

  the leaf blade is more or less flat in cross-section, or slightly folded or rolled inwards

  Leaf blade width

  1.5–4 mm

  Leaf ligule length

  0.1–0.4 mm

  Leaf ligule type

  the leaf ligule is in the form of fine hairs

  Leaf sheath closed around stem

  the margins of the leaf sheath are overlapping and not fused together except in the basal half (or less)

  Leaf sheath hairs

  • there are hairs on the surface of the leaf sheath
  • there are no hairs on the surface of the leaf sheath

• Place

  Habitat

  terrestrial

  New England state

  Connecticut

  Specific habitat

  • cliffs, balds, or ledges
  • ridges or ledges
  • talus or rocky slopes
  • woodlands

• Stem, shoot, branch

  Stem spacing

  the stems grow close together in compact clusters or tufts

Wetland status

Not classified

New England distribution and conservation status

From the dichotomous key of Flora Novae Angliae