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Sporobolus cryptandrus — sand dropseed

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Facts

Sand dropseed, as the name suggests, is found on sandy open soils such as roadsides railroads and fields. Although this species is native to New England, some records are known to be introduced, for example in rail yards in Vermont. The Navajo, Hopi and Apache, among others, made use of the seeds of this plant for cooking, grinding the seeds into flour to make breads or mush.

Habitat

Anthropogenic (man-made or disturbed habitats), cliffs, balds, or ledges, grassland, meadows and fields, ridges or ledges, woodlands

New England distribution

Adapted from BONAP data

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North America distribution

Adapted from BONAP data

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Characteristics

Habitat
terrestrial
New England state
  • Connecticut
  • Maine
  • Massachusetts
  • New Hampshire
  • Vermont
Leaf blade width
2–6 mm
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
Spikelet length
1.5–2.7 mm
Glume relative length
one or both glumes are as long or longer than all of the florets
Awn on glume
the glume has no awn
One or more florets
there is one floret per spikelet
Lemma awn length
0 mm
Leaf ligule length
0.5–1 mm
Anther length
0.5–1 mm
Show all characteristics

  • Flowers

    Anther length
    0.5–1 mm
    Anther number
    2–3
    Awn on glume
    the glume has no awn
    Floret types within spikelet
    all the florets within a spikelet are similar
    Glume relative length
    one or both glumes are as long or longer than 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 crowding
    the panicle is somewhat to very spread out, with clearly-evident branches
    Inflorescence length
    150–400 mm
    Inflorescence length to width ratio
    2.9–7.5
    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
    Inflorescence width
    20–140 mm
    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 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 one floret per spikelet
    Palea relative length
    palea is one half to fully as long as lemma
    Spikelet axis tip
    there is no extension of the spikelet axis beyond the tip of the spikelet
    Spikelet length
    1.5–2.7 mm
    Spikelet position
    • the spikelets emerge from both the upper and lower halves of the inflorescence branches
    • the spikelets emerge mainly from the upper halves of the inflorescence branches
    Spikelets spiny
    the spikelets do not appear spiny
    Upper glume shape
    the upper glume is widest at or below the middle

  • Growth form

    Lifespan
    the plant lives more than two years

  • Leaves

    Leaf auricles
    the leaves do not have auricles
    Leaf blade width
    2–6 mm
    Leaf ligule length
    0.5–1 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 no hairs on the surface of the leaf sheath

  • Place

    Habitat
    terrestrial
    New England state
    • Connecticut
    • Maine
    • Massachusetts
    • New Hampshire
    • Vermont
    Specific habitat
    • cliffs, balds, or ledges
    • grasslands
    • man-made or disturbed habitats
    • meadows or fields
    • ridges or ledges
    • woodlands

  • Stem, shoot, branch

    Stem spacing
    the stems grow close together in compact clusters or tufts

Wetland status

Usually occurs in non-wetlands, but occasionally in wetlands. (Wetland indicator code: FACU)

In New England

Distribution

Connecticut
present
Maine
present
Massachusetts
present
New Hampshire
present
Rhode Island
absent
Vermont
present

Conservation status

Exact status definitions can vary from state to state. For details, please check with your state.

Connecticut
extremely rare to rare (S-rank: S1S2), threatened (code: T)
Massachusetts
rare (uncertain) (S-rank: S2?)
New Hampshire
extremely rare (S-rank: S1), endangered (code: E)

From Flora Novae Angliae dichotomous key

4.  Sporobolus cryptandrus (Torr.) Gray N│E

sand dropseed. Agrostis cryptandra Torr. • CT, MA, ME, NH, VT. Sandy soils of roadsides, railroads, and fields. Some records of this grass represent introductions (e.g., railroad yards in VT). 
This species was reported from RI by Kartesz (1999), based on George (1992); however, 
George (1999) stated this species could be in RI (i.e., the author is unaware of any collections).

Native to North America?

Yes

Sometimes confused with

Sporobolus heterolepis:
spikelets 3-6 mm long, anthers 1.7-3 mm long, and apex of leaf sheath without a conspicuous tuft of hairs (vs. S. cryptandrus, with spikelets 1.5-2.7 mm long, anthers 0.5-1 mm long, and apex of leaf sheath with a conspicuous tuft of hairs).
Sporobolus contractus:
panicle dense and contracted throughout flowering and fruiting, 2–10 mm wide, branches of panicle bearing spikelets throughout their length, and anthers 0.3–0.5 mm long (vs. S. cryptandrus, with panicle initially contracted, ultimately becoming open, mostly 20–120 mm wide, branches of panicle bearing spikelets only in the apical 75–88% of the branch, and anthers 0.5–1 mm long).

Synonyms

  • Agrostis cryptandra Torr.

Family

Poaceae

Genus

Sporobolus