SimplePlant

Poaceae

Alkali sacaton

Sporobolus airoides (Torr.) Torr.

Family
Poaceae
Genus
Sporobolus

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Alkali sacaton (Sporobolus airoides)
FlowerPhoto: Parker James Lloyd, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist

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Common names

By language (4)
Chinese
鼠尾粟草
English
Alkali sacaton, Alkali-Sacaton
nv
Tłʼohtsáhí
Spanish
Cresta de gallo, Zacate alcalino, Zacate de agua, Zacatón, Sacatón

Synonyms

  • Agrostis airoides Torr.
  • Sporobolus airoides subsp. regis (I.M.Johnst.) Wipff & S.D.Jones
  • Sporobolus airoides var. airoides
  • Sporobolus diffusissimus Buckley
  • Sporobolus regis I.M.Johnstone
  • Sporobolus tharpii Hitchc.
  • Vilfa airoides (Torr.) Trin. ex Steud.

Flowers

In flower
May, July to September (from 14 flowering iNaturalist observations worldwide)
Flower colour
yellow (USDA PLANTS Database)

Characteristics

Growth habit
Graminoid
Lifespan
Perennial
In the US and Canada
Canada: native, Lower 48 states: native

Photos

More in Sporobolus

Sources: classification, synonyms from World Flora Online Plant List (2026-06, CC0 1.0); common names, popularity from Wikidata (2026-10-26, CC0 1.0); common names, US characteristics from USDA PLANTS Database (2025-05-29, CC0 1.0). About our plant data.