Species: Sporobolus neglectus Nash

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Sporobolus neglectus Nash

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TAXONOMY

Family:

Poaceae

Genus:

Sporobolus

Species Synonyms:

Sporobolus vaginiflorus var. neglectus (Nash Scribn.

Common Names:

puffsheath dropseed
small dropseed

DISTRIBUTION

Canada:

southeastern Alberta – southern Saskatchewan – southern Manitoba, Quebec – western New Brunswick

Saskatchewan:

southern Saskatchewan; Brooking – Souris River Valley

Ecoregion:

Mixed Grassland, Moist Mixed Grassland

HABITAT

Saskatchewan:

dry, often disturbed, gravel barrens

Associated species:

foxtail barley, green foxtail, longleaf plantain, marsh muhly, needle and thread grass, sand dropseed, tumble grass

RARITY STATUS

Provincial Status According
to Harms (2003):

Endangered

Nature Conservancy Status:

G5 S3

Saskatchewan Species at
Risk Status:

None

COSEWIC Status:

None

Puffsheath dropseed is endangered because it is rare and most local populations are small. Possible threats have been identified for this species.

SPECIES DESCRIPTION

Height:

10 – 45 cm

Roots:

fibrous

Stems:

tufted, delicate, erect to bent at the base, wiry

Leaves:

blades 1 – 12 cm long, 0.5 – 2 mm wide, flat to rolled, hairless below, rough-hairy above; sheaths inflated, mostly hairless; ligules of hairs, 0.1 – 0.3 mm long; ear-like lobes at the base of the leaf present

Inflorescence:

terminal and axillary, 2 – 5 cm long, 0.2 – 0.5 cm wide, cylindrical, branched

Spikelets:

1.5 – 3 mm long, yellowish, may be purple-tinged

Flowers:

glumes subequal, shorter than florets, lance-shaped to oval, membranous, hairless; lemmas 1.5 – 3 mm long, ovate, dry and membranous, hairless; paleas similar to lemmas

Fruits:

light brown or orange, finely grooved

SPOROBOLUS KEY FOR SPECIES FOUND IN SASKATCHEWAN

1 Inflorescence < 20 cm, contracted, branches erect or appressed; annual	S. neglectus
1 Inflorescence 20 – 30 cm long, open, branches spreading or ascending; perennials	2

2 Leaf sheaths densely long-hairy on both sides at the tip, otherwise hairless; base of inflorescence in upper leaf sheath	S. cryptandrus
2 Leaf sheaths mostly hairless; base of inflorescence well exserted	S. heterolepis