HOW TO KNOW THE GRASSES 



34b. Plants with creeping stolons, rooting at the nodes and forming flat 

 mats; rhizomes absent; panicle narrow, the branches closing up 

 after the flowering period. Fig. 217. 



CREEPING BENT Agrostis palustris Huds. 



Perennial; low, spreading by numerous 

 fine leafy stolons. This species is much 

 used for golf greens and tine lawns, but 

 requires frequent cutting and watering to 

 produce a good turf, and the plants are 

 subject to several serious diseases. New 

 lawns are usually produced by planting 

 pieces of chopped turf, which take root and 

 spread to form a continuous sod. Repro- 

 duction by seed is also possible, but seed 

 of many strains is very scarce or unob- 

 tainable. Various forms of this species are 

 known as seaside bent, Coos Boy bent, 

 Washington bent, and MetropoHtan bent. 

 Marshes, especially along seacoasts, wet 



ground around streams, springs, lakes, and 

 ditches. Also known from Europe and Asia. June — September. 



Figure 217 



35a. Ligules 1 — 2 mm. long; leaf blades 1 — 3 mm. wide. Fig. 218. 



BROWNTOP Agrostis tenuis Sibth. 



Perennial; plants 20 — 40 cm. tall; rhizomes 

 absent but short stolons sometimes present; 

 leaf blades very narrow; Hgules on sterile 

 shoots about 1 mm. long, on the culms up 

 to 2 mm. long; panicles usually 5 — 10 cm. 

 long, brownish, open and delicate, the spike- 

 lets all near the outer tips of the branches. 

 Agrostis tenuis is cultivated as a lawn and 

 pasture grass and is sometimes referred to 

 as Rhode Island bent. Prince Edward Island 

 bent, Colonial bent. New Zealand bent, or 

 Astoria bent. The plants are occasionally 

 found growing wild in regions where brown- 

 top is cultivated. Some forms possess lem- 

 mas which bear a delicate awn attached 

 near the base. Introduced from Europe. June 

 —July. 



Figure 218 



116 



