Perennial. Stems 20–80 cm. Leaves: blades 2–5 mm wide; throat with a conspicuous tuft of whitish hairs. Inflorescence a contracted to open panicle 8–20 cm long, partially enclosed in leaf sheath. Spikelets 2–2.5 mm long. Lemmas 1.4–2.5 mm long (Lavin in
Lesica et al. 2012. Manual of Montana Vascular Plants. BRIT Press. Fort Worth, TX).
Sand Dropseed -
Sporobolus cryptandrus*Habit: Perennial.
*Panicle: Contracted (appressed), greater than 4 centimeters long, and much longer than wide
and enclosed in an arcuate leaf sheath.
*Stem: Base is erect.
*Spikelets: 2.5 mm or shorter. Both glumes are not as long or longer than the lemma.
Small Dropseed -
Sporobolus neglectus, SOC
*Habit: Annual.
*Panicle: Contracted (narrow), less than 4 cm long,
and usually partially enclosed by the leaf sheath.
*Spikelets: 2-3 mm long.
Tall Dropseed -
Sporobolus compositus, SOC
*Habit: Perennial.
*Panicle: Contracted (appressed), but much longer than wide
and usually partially enclosed in the leaf sheath.
*Stem: Base is erect.
*Spikelets: 3 mm or more long. Both glumes are not as long or longer than the lemma.
Alkali Dropseed -
Sporobolus airoides*Habit: Perennial.
*Panicle: Diffuse, greater than 4 centimeters long, and about as long as wide
and usually fully exerted from the leaf sheath.
*Stem: Base is decumbent.
*Spikelets: 2-2.5 mm long.
Prairie Dropseed -
Sporobolus heterolepis, not documented in Montana
*Habit: Perennial.
*Panicle: Open, greater than 4 centimeters long, and much longer than wide
and usually entirely exerted from the leaf sheath.
*Spikelets: At least one of the glumes is as long or longer than the lemma.
Occurring in disturbed settings and rarely in sagebrush steppe, common along roadsides and there conspicuous because of inflorescences each enclosed in an arcuate leaf sheath (Lavin in
Lesica et al. 2012. Manual of Montana Vascular Plants. BRIT Press. Fort Worth, TX).
