Scientific Family
Poaceae
Synonyms
Agrostis geminata, Agrostis hyemalis
Other common names
rough bent
ticklegrass
twin bentgrass
Plant type
Grasses
Riparian
Yes
Grass Description
Origin
Native
Season
Warm
Mostly in moist places, but grows in a wide variety of habitats, including grasslands, meadows, shrublands, woodlands, marshes,
and stream and lake margins, as well as disturbed sites such as roadsides, ditches, and abandoned pastures.
Plant Community
Riparian
Pinyon Juniper Woodlands
Montane Conifer Forest
Interior Chaparral
Grasslands
Disturbed Areas
Low elevation
5000
High elevation
11000
General Description
Densely tufted. Awned and unawned plants often occur together, the difference presumably being caused by a single gene.
One-flowered spikelets; seedhead very diffuse with secondary branching in the top half; spikelets start in the middle of branches; palea are less than 1/3 the length of the lemma.
Grass type
Perennial bunchgrass
Rhizomes
No
Stolons
No
Clump Diameter 2 ft or more
No
Bushy - highly branched
No
Height with Seedheads
24 inches or more
Seedhead Structure
Branched - open and spreading
Seedhead droops
No
First bloom month
May
Last bloom month
November
Flower Characteristics
Flowers per Spikelet
One-flowered
Spikelets One-Sided
No
Awns
Absent
Three Awns
No
Awns bent
No
Flower and Seedhead Notes
The 4 to 12 inch seedhead is exerted from the upper sheaths, has long branches, is broadly ovate, often nearly as wide as long, diffuse, often detaching at the base at maturity forming a tumbleweed. Spikelets are about 1/8 inch long. Lemmas 5-nerved.
Vegetative Characteristics
Blade is hairy
No
Blade margins white
No
Blade cross-section
Flat
Leaves mostly basal, basal leaves usually persistent; wrinkled and roughened.
Sheath is hairy
No
Tufts of hair top of sheath or collar
No
Ligule
Membranous
Auricles
No
Good.