Spike redtop (A. exaara'ta) is one of the most important range species. It 

 is a common tufted grass with a contracted, spikelike panicle and is found 

 throughout the western portion of North America. 



Winter redtop (A. Mema'lis), often called ticklegrass, is a bunchgrass with 

 a finely branched, large, spreading panicle. It is distributed throughout the 

 continent except in the far North and is one of the most common and widely 

 distributed grasses on the western ranges. The above three species (redtop, 

 spike redtop, and winter redtop) are perhaps the most common of all the 

 species of Agrostis on western national forests. 



Leafy redtop (A. diegoen'sis, syns. A. folio'sa, A. pal'lens folio'sa), often called 

 thin grass, one of the most abundant of the native sod-forming species of 

 Affrostis, is a moderately tall, fine-leaved grass with a narrow panicle. It 

 is distributed from British Columbia to southern California, with an eleva- 

 tional range from sea level to about 7,500 feet. In general, its growth is 

 rather scattered, but the forage production per plant is comparatively large. 

 The herbage is relished by all classes of livestock, and the spreading rootstocks 

 enable the plant to withstand extremely heavy grazing. 



Alpine redtop (A. ros'sae), also known as Ross redtop, is an example of the 

 low, delicate species which grow in high mountains. It is about 4 to 8 inches- 

 tall, and has fine, narrow panicles. This plant is confined to the alpine zone 

 from British Columbia to central California and eastward to Colorado and 

 Montana. It is regarded as fairly good to very good forage for all classes 

 of livestock. Pygmy redtop (A. hu'milis), a related alpine species, ranging 

 from British Columbia to Oregon and Colorado, is highly palatable to all 

 classes of livestock. It is seldom over 6 inches high. 



Idaho redtop (A. idahoen'sis) is a tufted grass resembling alpine redtop 

 but is taller up to 16 inches high and has open, loosely spreading panicles. 

 It is widely distributed, growing in mountain meadows from Washington to 

 southern California and east to New Mexico and Montana. It furnishes fair 

 to good forage for sheep and is good to very good for cattle and horses. 



The typical bentgrasses usually reproduce vigorously by means of stolons, 

 thus forming a dense turf which makes them ideal for use on lawns and golf 

 greens. When used in pastures, they are highly resistant to damage from 

 excessive trampling and grazing. In addition, they are exceptionally efficient 

 soil-binding plants and are being used in reclaiming gullies in erosion-control 

 work. Creeping bent (A. palus'tris), certain cultivated forms of which are 

 known as carpet bent, is a characteristic representative of the cultivated bent- 

 grasses. This plant is a native of Europe, and is now extensively cultivated 

 in this country. It has dense spikelike panicles and long creeping stolons or 

 runners which may attain a length of 4 feet in a single season. This species 

 is most esteemed for the fine turf it produces, superior to practically all 

 other temperate grasses. It is widely used for lawns and golf greens and 

 is a poular and valuable pasture grass. On both the Atlantic and Pacific 

 coasts it occurs in extensive seaside meadow areas which are used for both 

 hay and pasture. This grass succeeds very well inland, especially where the 

 soil is fairly moist. 1 It shows promise in the reseeding of meadows on 

 western ranges and may be worthy of further experiments. 2 



The grasses of the Affrostis genus are usually low and delicate or moderately 

 tall perennials (only three annuals occur in this country), with smooth, hair- 

 less, slender stalks and diverse habits of growth. The leaf blades are flat 

 or inrolled and often rough to the touch; the leaf sheaths are usually chan- 

 neled and rough. The flower heads (panicles) may be open with widely 

 spreading, hairlike branches or contracted, very narrow and spikelike. The 

 individual flower groups (spikelets) are very small, V-shaped and one-flowered, 

 with the lowest two spikelet bracts (glumes) remaining attached after the 

 seed has fallen. These glumes are about equal, sharp-pointed, and harsh on 

 the keel. The outer flower bract (lemma) is usually shorter than the glumes, 

 blunt-pointed, very thin, either beardless (awnless) or with a slender awn on 

 the back. The inner flower bract (palea) is inconspicuous or lacking. 



1 Piper, C. V. CULTIVATED GRASSES OF SECONDARY IMPORTANCE. U. S. Dept. Agr. Farm- 

 ers Bull. 1433, 42 pp., illus. 1925. 



3 Forsling, C. L., and Dayton, W. A. ARTIFICIAL RESEEDING ON WESTERN MOUNTAIN 

 BANGS LANDS. U. S. Dept. Agr. Circ. 178, 48 pp., illus. 1931. 



