Taxon: Sporobolus compositus (Poir.) Merr.

Summary

Genus:

Sporobolus

Family:

Poaceae (alt. Gramineae)

Subfamily:

Chloridoideae

Tribe:

Zoysieae

Subtribe:

Sporobolinae

Nomen number:

409825

Place of publication:

Circ. Div. Agrostol. U.S.D.A. 35:6. 1901

Verified:

02/03/2004 ARS Systematic Botanists.

Accessions:

9 (9 active, 3 available) in National Plant Germplasm System. (Map it)

Other conspecific taxa

Autonyms (not in current use), synonyms and invalid designations

Heterotypic Synonym(s)
Agrostis aspera Michx.
Sporobolus asper (P. Beauv.) Kunth
Sporobolus asper (P. Beauv.) Kunth var. asper
Sporobolus asper (P. Beauv.) Kunth var. hookeri (Trin.) Vasey
Vilfa aspera P. Beauv.
Vilfa hookeri Trin.

Images (1 total. Click on image for more.)

Conservation Status

Reference(s)

Englert, J. M. et al. 1999-. USDA-NRCS Improved conservation plant materials released by NRCS and cooperators
FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
Gleason, H. A. & A. Cronquist. 1991. Manual of vascular plants of northeastern United States and adjacent Canada, ed. 2 Note: = Sporobolus asper
Hitchcock, A. S. 1950. Manual of the grasses of the United States, ed. 2. Note: = Sporobolus asper
Kartesz, J. T. & K. N. Gandhi. 1995. Nomenclatural notes for the North American flora. XIV. Phytologia 78:11.
Magee, D. W. & H. E. Ahles. 1999. Flora of the Northeast. A manual of the vascular flora of New England and adjacent New York. Note: = Sporobolus asper
Markle, G. M. et al., eds. 1998. Food and feed crops of the United States, ed. 2
Peterson, P. M. et al. 2001. Catalogue of New World grasses (Poaceae): II. Subfamily Chloridoideae. Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 41:204.
Peterson, P. M. et al. 2004. Sporobolus (Poaceae: Chloridoideae: Cynodonteae: Zoysieae: Sporobolinae) from northeastern México. Sida 21(3):566-568.
Scoggan, H. J. 1978-1979. The flora of Canada, 4 vol. Note: = Sporobolus asper

Common names

Language	Name	note	seq	Citation
English	rough dropseed		1	FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
English	tall dropseed	as Sporobolus asper	1	Gleason, H. A. & A. Cronquist. 1991. Manual of vascular plants of northeastern United States and adjacent Canada, ed. 2 Note: = Sporobolus asper
French	sporobole rude		2	FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.

Distribution

order_code	Status	Continent	Subcontinent	Country	State	Note	Reference
1	Native	Northern America	Eastern Canada	Canada	New Brunswick		FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
1	Native	Northern America	Eastern Canada	Canada	Ontario	s.	FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
1	Native	Northern America	Eastern Canada	Canada	Québec	s.w.	FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
1	Native	Northern America	North-Central U.S.A.	United States	Illinois		FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
1	Native	Northern America	North-Central U.S.A.	United States	Iowa		FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
1	Native	Northern America	North-Central U.S.A.	United States	Kansas		FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
1	Native	Northern America	North-Central U.S.A.	United States	Minnesota		FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
1	Native	Northern America	North-Central U.S.A.	United States	Missouri		FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
1	Native	Northern America	North-Central U.S.A.	United States	Nebraska		FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
1	Native	Northern America	North-Central U.S.A.	United States	North Dakota		FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
1	Native	Northern America	North-Central U.S.A.	United States	Oklahoma		FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
1	Native	Northern America	North-Central U.S.A.	United States	South Dakota		FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
1	Native	Northern America	North-Central U.S.A.	United States	Wisconsin		FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
1	Native	Northern America	Northeastern U.S.A.	United States	Connecticut		FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
1	Native	Northern America	Northeastern U.S.A.	United States	Indiana		FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
1	Native	Northern America	Northeastern U.S.A.	United States	Massachusetts	e.	FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
1	Native	Northern America	Northeastern U.S.A.	United States	Michigan		FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
1	Native	Northern America	Northeastern U.S.A.	United States	New Jersey		FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
1	Native	Northern America	Northeastern U.S.A.	United States	New York		FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
1	Native	Northern America	Northeastern U.S.A.	United States	Ohio		FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
1	Native	Northern America	Northeastern U.S.A.	United States	Pennsylvania		FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
1	Native	Northern America	Northeastern U.S.A.	United States	Rhode Island		FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
1	Native	Northern America	Northeastern U.S.A.	United States	Vermont	w.	FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
1	Native	Northern America	Northern Mexico	Mexico	Coahuila de Zaragoza
1	Native	Northern America	Northwestern U.S.A.	United States	Colorado		FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
1	Native	Northern America	Northwestern U.S.A.	United States	Idaho	s.	FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
1	Native	Northern America	Northwestern U.S.A.	United States	Montana	e.	FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
1	Native	Northern America	Northwestern U.S.A.	United States	Washington	c.	FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
1	Native	Northern America	Northwestern U.S.A.	United States	Wyoming	e.	FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
1	Native	Northern America	South-Central U.S.A.	United States	New Mexico		FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
1	Native	Northern America	South-Central U.S.A.	United States	Texas		FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
1	Native	Northern America	Southeastern U.S.A.	United States	Alabama		FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
1	Native	Northern America	Southeastern U.S.A.	United States	Arkansas		FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
1	Native	Northern America	Southeastern U.S.A.	United States	Florida		FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
1	Native	Northern America	Southeastern U.S.A.	United States	Georgia		FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
1	Native	Northern America	Southeastern U.S.A.	United States	Louisiana		FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
1	Native	Northern America	Southeastern U.S.A.	United States	Maryland		FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
1	Native	Northern America	Southeastern U.S.A.	United States	Mississippi		FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
1	Native	Northern America	Southeastern U.S.A.	United States	North Carolina		FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
1	Native	Northern America	Southeastern U.S.A.	United States	South Carolina		FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
1	Native	Northern America	Southeastern U.S.A.	United States	Virginia		FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
1	Native	Northern America	Southwestern U.S.A.	United States	Arizona	e.	FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
1	Native	Northern America	Southwestern U.S.A.	United States	Utah	e. & c.	FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
1	Native	Northern America	Western Canada	Canada	British Columbia	s.	FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
1	Native	Northern America	Western Canada	Canada	Manitoba	s.	FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
2	Cultivated	Northern America		United States			Markle, G. M. et al., eds. 1998. Food and feed crops of the United States, ed. 2

Native
Northern America

EASTERN CANADA: Canada [Québec (s.w.), Ontario (s.), New Brunswick]
WESTERN CANADA: Canada [Manitoba (s.), British Columbia (s.)]
NORTHEASTERN U.S.A.: United States [Connecticut, Indiana, Massachusetts (e.), Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont (w.)]
NORTH-CENTRAL U.S.A.: United States [Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Wisconsin]
NORTHWESTERN U.S.A.: United States [Colorado, Idaho (s.), Montana (e.), Washington (c.), Wyoming (e.)]
SOUTHEASTERN U.S.A.: United States [Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia]
SOUTH-CENTRAL U.S.A.: United States [New Mexico, Texas]
SOUTHWESTERN U.S.A.: United States [Arizona (e.), Utah (e. & c.)]
NORTHERN MEXICO: Mexico [Coahuila de Zaragoza]

Cultivated
Northern America

REGION: United States

Reference(s)

FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
Markle, G. M. et al., eds. 1998. Food and feed crops of the United States, ed. 2

Economic Uses

Usage	Type	Note	Reference
Animal food	forage		Markle, G. M. et al., eds. 1998. Food and feed crops of the United States, ed. 2
Environmental	ornamental	for roadside enhancement	Englert, J. M. et al. 1999-. USDA-NRCS Improved conservation plant materials released by NRCS and cooperators
Environmental	revegetator	for prairie restoration	Englert, J. M. et al. 1999-. USDA-NRCS Improved conservation plant materials released by NRCS and cooperators

Cite as: USDA, Agricultural Research Service, National Plant Germplasm System. 2026. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN Taxonomy). National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland.
URL: https://npgstest.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxon/taxonomydetail?id=409825. Accessed 13 May 2026.