GRASSES OF IOWA. 



169 



Agtostts trichodium Michx. Fl. Bor. Am. 1: 41. 1803. 



istis vulgaris With. Bot. Arr. Brit. PI. 132. 1796. (3d ed.) 



DESCRIPTION. 



Red Top. A well known 

 perennial of variable habit. 

 Culms smooth, erect or decum- 

 bent, and rooting at the base or 

 stoloniferous, I to 3 feet (2- 

 9 dm.) high. Sheaths smooth; 

 ligule less than 1 line (2 mm.) 

 to 4 lines (8 mm.) long, some- 

 times firm and herbaceous at the 

 base; leaf-blade linear or nar- 

 row-lanceolate, 4 to 8 inches (8- 

 16 cm.) long, scabrous. Pan- 

 icle narrow, with erect and 

 rather densely flowered branches, 

 or lax and open, the branches 

 widely spreading, 4 to IO 

 inches (8-20 cm.) long. Spike- 

 lets nearly sessile or pedicel- 

 late, I to i| lines (2-3 mm.) 

 long. Empty glumes lanceolate, 

 acute, the first scabrous on the 

 keel, the second a little shorter, 

 and smooth or scabrous near 

 the apex. Flowering glume a 

 little shorter than the empty 

 Fig. 120 Agrosiis aiba-&, empfy glumes; ones, obtuse or truncate; palea 



b, floret inclosing stamens. (Div. of Agros. U. one -half to three-fourths as long 

 S. Dept. of Agrl.) to 



as the glume. Throughout the 

 United States, excepting in the extreme south. June to September. 



This species is common throughout the state, usually occurring in 

 low grounds. It is an excellent forage plant. The species runs into 

 numerous forms. 



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