Sporobolus is a nearly cosmopolitan genus of plants in the grass family. The name is derived from the Greek words σπόρος (sporos), meaning "seed", and βόλος (bolos), meaning "throw", referring to the dispersion of seeds. Members of the genus are usually called dropseeds or sacaton grasses. They are typical prairie and savanna plants, occurring in other types of open habitat in warmer climates. At least one species (S. caespitosus from Saint Helena) is threatened with extinction, and another (S. durus from Ascension Island) is extinct.