Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center


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Aquatic and Wetland Vascular Plants of the Northern Great Plains

63. Poaceae, the Grass Family

2. Agrostis L. -- Bentgrass

1. Agrostis exarata Trin. -- Spikebent

Tufted perennial, sometimes with short rhizomes; culms erect to sometimes decumbent at the base and rooting at the nodes, 2-10 dm tall. Leaves distributed well up the culm, the blades ascending to spreading, flat, 2-10 mm wide, scabrous; sheaths glabrous to scaberulous; ligule hyaline, lacerate, 1.5-6 mm long. Panicle narrow and condensed, (4)6-25 cm long, continuous or somewhat interrupted mainly in the lower portion, the main branches strongly ascending, bearing short branches and spikelets to near the base. Spikelets green or sometimes purplish, 2-3 mm long; glumes lanceolate, acuminate, 1.9-3 mm long, scabrous on the keel; lemma 1.5-2.5 mm long, rarely awn-tipped; palea absent or rudimentary; anthers 0.3-0.5 mm long. Grain brownish, oblong, ca. 1 mm long. Jul--Aug. Moist meadows and stream banks; uncommon and scattered in w SD, e WY, c and w NE; (Alta. to AK, s to NE, w OK, NM and CA).
GIF- Distribution Map

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