Kingdom Plantae Family Poaceae Scientific name Sporobolus cryptandrus | Order Poales Genus Sporobolus Rank Species | |
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Similar Grasses, Sporobolus, Bouteloua curtipendula, Bouteloua gracilis, Bouteloua | ||
Sporobolus cryptandrus is a species of grass known by the common name sand dropseed. It is native to North America, where it is widespread throughout southern Canada, most all of the United States, and northern Mexico.
Contents
Habitat
It grows in a wide variety of habitat types, including disturbed areas such as roadsides. It is a common grass in many types of North American prairie.
Description
Sporobolus cryptandrus is a perennial bunchgrass forming a tuft of stems growing up to a meter long, erect to decumbent in form. The stem bases are thick but not hard or woody. The leaves are up to 26 centimeters long and rough-haired along the margins. Some stand out from the stems in a perpendicular fashion. The inflorescence is dense and narrow when new and then spreads out, becoming diffuse, with some branches sticking straight out. The base of the inflorescence is often sheathed within the top leaf, which spreads out beside it. The grass produces very abundant seeds, with an individual inflorescence capable of bearing 10,000 seeds.
Uses
The seeds of this grass provide food for small birds and mammals, including scaled quail (Callipepla squamata) and black-tailed prairie dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus).
