| Tall dropseed | |
|---|---|
| |
| 1913 illustration S. compositus var. compositus[1] | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Monocots |
| Clade: | Commelinids |
| Order: | Poales |
| Family: | Poaceae |
| Genus: | Sporobolus |
| Species: | S. compositus
|
| Binomial name | |
| Sporobolus compositus (Poir.) Merr.
| |
| Varieties | |
| |
| Synonyms | |
|
Sporobolus asper
(Beauv.) Kunth | |
Sporobolus compositus, the composite dropseed[2] or tall dropseed, is a native North American prairie grass growing from two to four feet tall. Also called rough dropseed and meadow dropseed, it is common on the Great Plains, and found in most states in the United States.
It flowers from August to September. The name derives from the readily falling grain. Dropseed has little value as food; its palatability decreases with its age.