# smut grass

*Sporobolus indicus*

When the seeds get wet, they release a sticky gelatinous coating that glues them to the fur or feet of passing animals.

- **Taxonomy:** Plantae › Tracheophyta › Liliopsida › Poales › Poaceae › Sporobolus
- **IUCN Red List status:** Least Concern
- **Population trend:** increasing
- **Biome:** grassland
- **Habitat:** Pastures, roadsides, turfgrass, waste places, and open grasslands
- **Diet:** Autotroph (photosynthetic)
- **Range:** North America, South America, Central America, Africa, Asia, Australia, Pacific Islands
- **Size:** Clump-forming bunchgrass 30–120 cm tall
- **Lifespan:** 3–10 yr
- **Active:** diurnal
- **Threats:** Herbicide applications, mechanical tillage, and competitive pasture management
- **Safe to approach?:** Harmless to touch. The plant is non-toxic to humans, but disturbing infected flower heads releases black fungal spores that can irritate eyes or respiratory tracts in sensitive individuals. Wash hands after handling.

## About

Sporobolus indicus is a species of grass known by the common name smut grass .

## Sources

- Plate: https://gaia-dex.com/species/c22cad9f-29d8-4b9e-8961-95e13990503e
- iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/79187
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sporobolus indicus
- Conservation status: IUCN Red List category, as recorded by Gaia-Dex
- Photo: https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/114523082/medium.jpeg (葉子, CC0, via iNaturalist)

Habitat, diet, size and similar notes are AI-written summaries; check them against the linked sources before relying on them.