Common name
Small Dropseed

Derivation
Sporobolus R.Br., Prodr. 169 (1810); from the Greek spora (seed) and bolos (throwing), alluding to the free seed and (presumably) the sometimes forcible manner of its release.

coromandelianus- from the Coromandel, that is south-eastern India.

Published in
Rev. Gram. 1: 68 (1829).

Common synonyms
Vilfa commutata Trin.
Vilfa roxburghiana Nees ex Wight
Sporobolus javensis Ohwi

Habit
Annual or ephemeral, tufted. Culms erect or geniculately ascending, 7–30 cm tall. Lateral branches simple or sparsely branched. Ligule a fringe of hairs, 0.35–1 mm long. Leaf-blades linear, flat, 2–11 cm long, 2–5 mm wide. Leaf-blade margins glabrous or ciliate, hairy at base.

Inflorescence
Inflorescence compound, a panicle. Panicle open or contracted, ovate, 2–8 cm long. Primary panicle branches spreading, whorled at most nodes.

Spikelets
Spikelets solitary. Pedicels 0.6–1.1 mm long. Fertile spikelets 1-flowered, comprising 1 fertile floret, without rhachilla extension, lanceolate, terete, 1–1.6 mm long, breaking up at maturity. Spikelets disarticulating below each fertile floret.

Glumes
Glumes deciduous, dissimilar. Lower glume elliptic or ovate, 0.1–0.5 mm long, 10–30% length of upper glume, hyaline, 0-nerved. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume lanceolate or oblong, 1–1.6 mm long, equalling adjacent fertile lemma, membranous, grey, 1-nerved. Upper glume lateral nerves absent. Upper glume surface smooth or asperulous. Upper glume apex acute.

Florets
Fertile lemma oblong or ovate, 1–1.6 mm long, membranous, grey, 1–3-nerved. Lemma surface smooth or scaberulous. Lemma apex obtuse or acute. Palea 2-nerved. Palea keels approximate. Palea apex entire, obtuse. Anthers 3, 0.2–0.3 mm long. Grain with free soft pericarp, obovoid, 0.7–0.9 mm long.

Continental Distribution:
Africa, Temperate Asia, Tropical Asia, Australasia.

Australian Distribution:
Western Australia, Northern Territory, Queensland.

Western Australia: Gardner, Fortescue, Carnarvon. Northern Territory: Darwin & Gulf. Queensland: Cook, Burke, North Kennedy, South Kennedy, Port Curtis, Leichhardt, Darling Downs, Gregory North, Maranoa.

Classification. (GPWG 2001):
Chloridoideae: Cynodonteae

Notes
Introduced; isolated occurrence in subtropical and tropical Australia; New Guinea, southern Africa, Eastern Asia, and the Pacific region. Mostly collected as a weed of gardens and roadsides and appears to be spreading; flowers Jan.–Dec.