''Sporobolus heterolepis'', commonly known as prairie dropseed,
is a species of
prairie
Prairies are ecosystems considered part of the temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biome by ecologists, based on similar temperate climates, moderate rainfall, and a composition of grasses, herbs, and shrubs, rather than trees, as the ...
grass native to the tallgrass and mixed grass prairies of central
North America from
Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...
to southern
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
.
It is also found further east, to the Atlantic coast of the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
and
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
, but is much less common beyond the
Great Plains and is restricted to specialized habitats. It is found in 27 states and four Canadian provinces.
Description
Prairie dropseed is a perennial
bunchgrass
Tussock grasses or bunch grasses are a group of grass species in the family Poaceae. They usually grow as singular plants in clumps, tufts, hummocks, or bunches, rather than forming a sod or lawn, in meadows, grasslands, and prairies. As perenni ...
whose mound of leaves is typically from high and across. Its flowering stems (
culms) grow from tall, extending above the leaves.
The flower cluster is an airy
panicle long with many branches. They terminate in small
spikelet
A spikelet, in botany, describes the typical arrangement of the flowers of grasses, sedges and some other Monocots.
Each spikelet has one or more florets. The spikelets are further grouped into panicles or spikes. The part of the spikelet that ...
s, which each contain a single fertile
floret
This glossary of botanical terms is a list of definitions of terms and concepts relevant to botany and plants in general. Terms of plant morphology are included here as well as at the more specific Glossary of plant morphology and Glossary o ...
. When it blooms, the floret has three reddish
anthers and a short feathery
stigma.
If it is pollinated, the floret produces a nearly round seed long.
At the base of the spikelet are two
bracts (
glume
In botany, a glume is a bract (leaf-like structure) below a spikelet in the inflorescence (flower cluster) of grasses (Poaceae) or the flowers of sedges (Cyperaceae). There are two other types of bracts in the spikelets of grasses: the lemma and ...
s), one of them long and the other long.
The bracts each are long and tapered, with sharply pointed tips.
Around the floret are a
lemma and
palea, each about long,
though the palea is sometimes longer than the lemma.
Prairie dropseed is a fine-textured grass with long, narrow leaves that arch outward, forming attractive, round tufts. The leaves range in color from a rich green hue in summer to a golden rust color in the fall. Foliage is resilient enough to resist flattening by snow, so it provides year-round interest. From late July to mid-September, the grass blooms with rusty-tan flowers that rise in height.
It occurs in a wide range of soils, doing well in moist to dry conditions. It is much less common in wetlands.
Ecology
It is a larval host to the
Poweshiek skipper.
[The Xerces Society (2016), ''Gardening for Butterflies: How You Can Attract and Protect Beautiful, Beneficial Insects'', Timber Press.]
Uses
The grass is cultivated as an
ornamental plant
Ornamental plants or garden plants are plants that are primarily grown for their beauty but also for qualities such as scent or how they shape physical space. Many flowering plants and garden varieties tend to be specially bred cultivars that ...
in gardens because of its attractive
bunchgrass
Tussock grasses or bunch grasses are a group of grass species in the family Poaceae. They usually grow as singular plants in clumps, tufts, hummocks, or bunches, rather than forming a sod or lawn, in meadows, grasslands, and prairies. As perenni ...
form. Because of its drought tolerance, it has been used on
green roofs
A green roof or living roof is a roof of a building that is partially or completely covered with vegetation and a growing medium, planted over a waterproofing membrane. It may also include additional layers such as a root barrier and drainage ...
. The seedhead is sometimes described as having the vague scent of fresh popcorn,
, or
sunflower seeds.
Prairie dropseed is also used for roadside revegetation and prairie restoration projects. It is difficult to establish by direct seeding. Transplanting greenhouse-grown seedlings is a more effective method of establishing it.
Native Americans ground the seeds of the grass to make flour, and many species of
birds eat the seeds.
References
External links
''Prairie Dropseed, plants & seeds''from ''Prairie Nursery''
from ''Chicago Wilderness Magazine''
{{Taxonbar, from=Q7579245
heterolepis
Grasses of North America
Bunchgrasses of North America
Warm-season grasses of North America
Grasses of Canada
Grasses of the United States
Native grasses of the Great Plains region
Flora of the United States
Flora of Eastern Canada
Flora of the Northeastern United States
Flora of the North-Central United States
Flora of the Southeastern United States
Plants used in Native American cuisine
Garden plants of North America
Bird food plants
Drought-tolerant plants
Flora without expected TNC conservation status