Sporobolus asper  var. asper (Michx.).
Tall Dropseed

Habit: 		Perennial.
Culms: 		Erect, often stout, solitary or in small tufts, 60-120 cm. tall, simple or branching.
Blades: 	Elongate, flat, 10-50 cm. long, 2-4 mm. wide, the upper short, the basal very long,
		pilose at the base, tapering to a long scabrous involute tip.
Sheaths: 	Usually shorter than the internodes, the upper often inflated, more or less
		hairy at the throat and at each end of the collar.
Ligule: 	A membranous line, minutely ciliate.
Inflorescence: 	Panicles terminal and axillary, pale or whitish, sometimes purplish,
		contracted, more or less spikelike, terminal 5-25 cm. long, partly included in the
		inflated upper sheaths, lateral panicles smaller, usually hidden in the sheaths, or none.
Spikelets: 	4-6 mm. long, 1-flowered, on scabrous pedicels, 1-4 mm. appressed, awnless,
		rachilla disarticulating above the glumes.
Glumes: 	Rather broad, scabrous on the keel, acutish, 3 and 4-4.5 mm. long,
		the first about half as long as the spikelet, the second two thirds to three fourths as long.
Lemmas: 	Usually about 1-2 mm. longer than the second glume, 1-nerved, glabrous,
		the tip boat-shaped.
Palea: 		2-nerved, about equaling the lemma, glabrous, boatshaped at the tip.
Fruit: 		Grain free from the lemma and readily dropping off, pericarp loosely
		enclosing the seed, thin and evanescent.
Habitat: 	In dry or sandy soil of prairies and plains.  August-September.
Kansas Range:	Throughout.
Use: 		Poor quality forage.
Sporobolus asper pilosus (Vasey)
Remarks: 	Similar to Sporobolus asper, except the blades and sheaths are more or less
		pilose and the panicle is usually shorter.
Habitat: 	Prairies, plains and rocky hills.
Kansas Range:	Scattered in central Kansas from Stanton to Shawnee counties.
Sporobolus asper hookeri (Trin.)
Remarks: 	Similar to Sporobolus asper, but less stout, the more slender,
		few-flowered panicle looser and the spikelets usually smaller, 3-5 mm. long.
		The foliage is rarely somewhat villous.
Habitat: 	In seepy areas in native pastures.
Kansas Range: Throughout.
Synonyms:	Sporobolus compositus (Poir.) Merr.
		Sporobolus compositus (Poir.) Merr. var. compositus
		Sporobolus asper (Michx.) Kunth var. hookeri (Trin.) Vasey
		Sporobolus compositus (Poir.) Merr. var. drummondii (Trin.) Kartesz & Gandhi
		Sporobolus asper (Michx.) Kunth var. drummondii (Trin.) Vasey
		Sporobolus asper (Michx.) Kunth var. pilosus (Vasey) A.S. Hitchc.
		Sporobolus attenuatus Nash
		Sporobolus drummondii (Trin.) Vasey
		Sporobolus pilosus Vasey