Agrostis capillaris

Last updated

Contents

Agrostis capillaris
Agrostis capillaris.jpeg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Clade: Commelinids
Order: Poales
Family: Poaceae
Subfamily: Pooideae
Genus: Agrostis
Species:
A. capillaris
Binomial name
Agrostis capillaris
L.
Synonyms [1] [2]

Agrostis capillaris, the common bent, colonial bent, or browntop, is a rhizomatous and stoloniferous perennial in the grass family (Poaceae). It is native to Eurasia and has been widely introduced in many parts of the world. [3] Colonial bent grows in moist grasslands and open meadows, and can also be found in agricultural areas, roadsides, and invading disturbed areas. [4]

The name Agrostis comes from the Greek word meaning forage plant, agros meaning "a field".

It is found growing in neutral to acidic soils. It has a very fine texture and like most bent grasses grows very dense. Although this species is used on golf courses, providing some of the best ball playing surfaces in the world, it also produces a spectacular visual appearance when maintained properly. It provides an excellent home lawn but is not tolerant of heavy use. Colonial bent is fairly easy to grow from seeds and fertilization of the lawn is not as intense.[ clarification needed ] This grass also takes longer to establish than creeping bent. However, it does not require the intense maintenance. [5]

Many internet sources describe it as being the tallest of the bent species. However, C. E. Hubbard describes its height as ranging from 10 to 70 cm high, whereas the black bent Agrostis gigantea is 40 to 120 cm. Marjorie Blamey, Richard and Alastair Fitter also describe black bent as being taller. [6] [7]

Description

It forms a dense sward of fine leaves. The ligule is short and does not come to a point. This differs from creeping bent, Agrostis stolonifera in which it is pointed and up to 5mm long.

The flowering panicles appear from May until June. They are finely branched and look like a purple haze from a distance. The panicle persists in winter after the seeds have been shed. [8]

Environmental conservation

Agrostis capillaris forms a constituent of purple moor grass and rush pastures, a type of Biodiversity Action Plan habitat in the UK. This habitat occurs on poorly drained neutral and acidic soils of the lowlands and upland fringe, and can be found in the south-west of England, especially in Devon. It is found on upland pastures throughout the UK.

Related Research Articles

<i>Alopecurus</i> Genus of flowering plants in the grass family Poaceae

Alopecurus, or foxtail grass, is a common and widespread genus of plants in the grass family. It is common across temperate and subtropical parts of Eurasia, northern Africa, and the Americas, as well as naturalized in Australia and on various islands.

<i>Agrostis</i> Genus of flowering plants in the grass family Poaceae

Agrostis is a large and very nearly cosmopolitan genus of plants in the grass family, found in nearly all the countries in the world. It has been bred as a GMO creeping bent grass.

<i>Molinia caerulea</i> Species of grass

Molinia caerulea, known by the common name purple moor-grass, is a species of grass that is native to Europe, west Asia, and north Africa. It grows in locations from the lowlands up to 2,300 m (7,546 ft) in the Alps. Like most grasses, it grows best in acid soils, ideally pH values of between 3.5 and 5, however, it can continue to live under more extreme conditions, sometimes to as low as 2. It is common on moist heathland, bogs and moorland throughout Britain and Ireland. Introduced populations exist in northeastern and northwestern North America.

<i>Crepis capillaris</i> Species of flowering plant in the daisy family Asteraceae

Crepis capillaris, the smooth hawksbeard, is a species of flowering plant in the tribe Cichorieae within the family Asteraceae, and is native to Europe. It has become naturalized in other lands and is regarded as a weed in some places.

<i>Agrostis stolonifera</i> Species of grass

Agrostis stolonifera is a perennial grass species in the family Poaceae. It is widely used as turf for golf courses.

<i>Poa annua</i> Species of plant

Poa annua, or annual meadow grass, is a widespread low-growing turfgrass in temperate climates. Notwithstanding the reference to annual plant in its name, perennial bio-types do exist. This grass originated as a hybrid between Poa supina and Poa infirma. Major chromosomal rearrangements after polyploidy have contributed to variation in genome size in Poa annua.

NVC community W11 is one of the woodland communities in the British National Vegetation Classification system. It is one of the six communities falling in the "mixed deciduous and oak/birch woodlands" group.

<i>Anguina agrostis</i> Species of roundworm

Anguina agrostis is a plant pathogenic nematode.

<i>Briza media</i> Species of grass

Briza media is a perennial grass in the family Poaceae and is a species of the genus Briza.

<i>Agrostis gigantea</i> Species of grass

Agrostis gigantea, known by its common names black bent and redtop, is a perennial grass of the Agrostis genus.

<i>Alopecurus geniculatus</i> Species of grass

Alopecurus geniculatus is a species of grass known by the common name water foxtail or marsh foxtail. It is native to much of Eurasia and introduced into North America, South America, and Australia. It grows in moist areas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Purple moor grass and rush pastures</span> One of UKs natural habitats

Purple moor grass and rush pastures is a type of Biodiversity Action Plan habitat in the UK. It occurs on poorly drained neutral and acidic soils of the lowlands and upland fringe. It is found in the South West of England, especially in Devon.

<i>Danthonia decumbens</i> Species of grass

Danthonia decumbens is a species of grass commonly known as the heath grass, heath-grass, or staggers grass It is a tussock grass native to Europe and adjacent parts of Asia and North Africa. It may also be native to Newfoundland and Nova Scotia.

<i>Cirsium heterophyllum</i> Species of thistle

Cirsium heterophyllum, the melancholy thistle, is an erect spineless herbaceous perennial flowering plant in the family Asteraceae. It is native to Europe and western Asia, where it grows in upland meadows, grasslands, road verges and open woodland.

<i>Agrostis perennans</i> Species of grass

Agrostis perennans, the upland bentgrass, upland bent, or autumn bent, is a species of flowering plant in the grass family, Poaceae.

Far High House Meadows is a Site of Special Scientific Interest in Upper Weardale in west County Durham, England. It consists of three fields, located just south of Burnhope Reservoir, some 3 km west of the village of Ireshopeburn. Two of the fields are maintained as northern hay meadows by traditional farming methods, without re-seeding or the application of artificial fertilisers; the third is grazed as pasture.

Hesledon Moor East is a Site of Special Scientific Interest in the County Durham district in east County Durham, England. It is located on the southern edge of the village of Murton, 10 km south of Sunderland and a little under 2 km north-east of Hesledon Moor West SSSI.

<i>Agrostis canina</i> Species of grass

Agrostis canina, the velvety bentgrass, brown bent or velvet bent, is a species of grass in the family Poaceae.

<i>Lolium giganteum</i> Species of grass

Lolium giganteum, giant fescue, is a woodland grass that grows on neutral to base-rich soils, often near streams or other damp places. It is native to Europe and much of Asia and has been introduced to parts of North America.

Gweunydd Glan-y-glasnant is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in Carmarthenshire, Wales, designated in 1993 for its botanical features.

References

  1. ↑ Plants Profile for Agrostis Capillaris Retrieved 14 March 2010.
  2. ↑ "Agrostis capillaris". Germplasm Resources Information Network . Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture . Retrieved 15 March 2010.
  3. ↑ "Grass Manual on the Web". Archived from the original on 11 June 2011. Retrieved 15 March 2010.
  4. ↑ "Global Invasive Species Database: Ecology of Agrostis capillaris". Invasive Species Specialist Group. Retrieved 15 March 2010.
  5. ↑ Watson, L.; Dallwitz, M. J. (2008). "The grass genera of the world: descriptions, illustrations, identification, and information retrieval; including synonyms, morphology, anatomy, physiology, phytochemistry, cytology, classification, pathogens, world and local distribution, and references". The Grass Genera of the World. Archived from the original on 24 July 2008. Retrieved 19 August 2009.
  6. ↑ Hubbard, C. E. (1978). Grasses. Penguin.
  7. ↑ Blamey, Marjorie; Fitter, Richard and Alistair (2003). Wild Flowers of Britain and Ireland. A. & C. Black. ISBN   0-7136-5944-0.
  8. ↑ "BSBI Description". Archived from the original on 17 July 2011. Retrieved 16 November 2010.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.