REDTOP 



Lyman Carrier^ Washington, D. C. 



Agronomist in Charge of Pasture Investigations, Bureau of Plant Industry, United 



States Department of Agriculture 



HISTORY 



The early history of redtop (Agrostis 

 aiha) is obscure. There are several reasons 

 for this. The common name redtop was first 

 applied in New England to Poa pratensis, 

 now commonly known as June grass or Ken- 

 tucky blue grass. Many of the early refer- 

 ences were too indefinite to enaljle one to be 

 sure just what species of grass were meant. 

 Redtop is undoubtedly a native of Europe, 

 but it "did not interest agricultural writers 

 previous to the beginning of the nineteenth century, either in 

 Europe or America. It was probably introduced into the United 

 States at a much earlier date than any references to it occur in 

 literature. It was also confused quite generally with Rhode 

 Island Bent, a much smaller and inferior hay plant. 



BOTANY 



The botanical classifications of the genus Agrostis, to which 

 redtop belongs, has been badly confounded. There are several 

 species of Agrostis that diifer considerably in habit of growth 

 and general ap})earance, yet are nearly alike when the common 

 botanical characters are compared. There are also wide varia- 

 tions in each species, one species blending into another without 

 a clear line of demarcation. 



It is not surprising that much confusion has occurred in identi- 

 fying these difl^erent species. Some botanists have classified as 

 distinct species, plants which others consider as varieties of other 

 species. It is impossible in all cases now to state what were the 

 plants to which the original names were applied. This is of 



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