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.