SimplePlant

Poaceae

Composite dropseed

Sporobolus compositus (Poir.) Merr.

Family
Poaceae
Genus
Sporobolus

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Composite dropseed (Sporobolus compositus)
FlowerPhoto: Linda Jo Conn, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist

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Common names

By language (1)
English
Composite dropseed, Tall dropseed

Synonyms

  • Agrostis aspera Michx.
  • Agrostis composita Poir.
  • Agrostis involuta Muhl.
  • Agrostis longifolia (Torr.) Torr. ex A.Gray
  • Agrostis longifolia Torr.
  • Agrostis polystachya Bosc ex Steud.
  • Apera aspera P.Beauv.
  • Glyceria stricta Buckley
  • Muhlenbergia aspera (P.Beauv.) Trin.
  • Muhlenbergia composita Trin. ex Steud.
  • Sporobolus asper (P.Beauv.) Kunth
  • Sporobolus asper var. asper
  • Sporobolus asper var. drummondii (Trin.) Vasey
  • Sporobolus asper var. hookeri (Trin.) Vasey
  • Sporobolus asper var. pilosus (Vasey) Hitchc.
  • Sporobolus attenuatus Nash
  • Sporobolus compositus var. compositus
  • Sporobolus compositus var. drummondii (Trin.) Kartesz & Gandhi
  • Sporobolus drummondii (Trin.) Vasey
  • Sporobolus longifolius (Torr. ex A.Gray) Alph.Wood
  • Sporobolus pilosus Vasey
  • Vilfa aspera P.Beauv.
  • Vilfa composita (Poir.) P.Beauv.
  • Vilfa drummondii Trin.
  • Vilfa hookeri Trin.
  • Vilfa longifolia Torr. ex Trin.

Flowers

In flower
September (from 7 flowering iNaturalist observations worldwide)

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.