ANNUAL DROPSEED, Sporobolus
neglectus Nash. 1, plant; 2, spikelets; 3,
seed. Annual, reproducing by seeds. Root system fibrous.
Stems erect or base prostrate, 6 to 12 inches (15 to 30 cm) high,
smooth, slender, branching at base. Leaves very slender, long and
tapering, smooth, hairy at base, 1 to 3 inches (2.5 to 7.5 cm) long. Panicles
slender, at first more or less hidden in the sheath. Awnless, slender spikelets.
Seeds small, nearly transparent with a dark gray or brown spot for
the germ, separated easily from white chaffy hull. Found in old
alfalfa fields, pastures, lawns, and waste places on dry, sandy soil. It
appears late in the season and has little forage value. Becomes objectionable
in grassed areas as it leaves bare spots each spring and white spots after
fall frosts.