A. VULGARIS, VAR. ALBA, RED TOP. 145 



tufted, leaves flat or bristly. Panicle terminal, usually slender, 

 much branched : branches slender, spikelets numerous. 



About 100 species, mostly found in temperate regions. 



A. vulgaris, yar. alba, With, Bed Top, Herd's Grass (of 

 the South), Burden's Grass, Summer Dew Grass. Culms 1-2 

 ft. hi., ascending, smooth, from creeping rootstocks. Leaves 

 short, flat; ligule oblong. Panicle oblong, 3x8 in., branches 

 spreading. Empty glumes subequal, or the lower longer, ovate 

 or lanceolate, acute, often purple. Floral glume shorter, trun- 

 cate, 3-nerved; awn short or none. Palea about one-half as long 

 as the floral glume. 



This is erroneously sometimes called "fowl meadow grass." 

 In England it is also called "red bent, 5 "purple bent," "creep- 

 ing rooted bent," "black twich." 



It is a well known, common, native, perennial grass, found on 

 moist bottom lands, where it flowers with Timothy or later. The 

 spreading panicle vaiies considerably in appearance, but is usually 

 tinged with purple. 



It starts rather late in spring or after cutting, affording very 

 good pasture, remaining green for a great part of the year. It 

 yields from one to two tons of hay to the acre j is of good quality 

 and rather light for its bulk. Chemical analysis shows it to 

 rank next to June grass, very high in nutritive qualities. 



Eed top in this country is often sown on marshes, too wet for 

 some of the better grasses. It is not well adapted to alternate 

 husbandry, as it takes several years to become well established. 



Gould says: "Its interlacing thick roots consolidate the sward, 

 making a firm matting, which prevents the feet of cattle from 

 poaching. It is generally considered a valuable grass in this 

 country, though by no means the best one. Cattle eat hay made 

 from it with a relish, and as a pasture grass it is much valued by 



FIG. 69. a. Plant of Poa arachnifera, Torr, (Texas Blue Grass); 6, spikelet, enlarged 

 and spread out; c, floret. (Scribner), 



19 



