348 



THE PRINCIPAL CULTIVATED GRASSES 



FiQ. 156. Redtop. 



REDTOP 



The name redtop is gener- 

 ally used for this plant, though 

 it is also known as Herd's 

 grass in southern United States, 

 as florin in Europe, and bent 

 grass in England. The true 

 bent grass, however, is really 

 a smaller form, with more 

 stoloniferous habit than the 

 common redtop (Fig. 156). 



Origin and History. 

 Eedtop shows great variation 

 in form. The taller species 

 are usually upright in habit 

 of growth, and while they 

 spread from underground 

 roots are not decidedly stolon- 

 iferous. Usually the smaller 

 forms are more prostrate in 

 growth and more stoloniferous. 

 The common form of culti- 

 vated redtop is native through- 

 out Europe, and was probably 

 introduced to this country. 

 However, one small form, 

 known as "Rhode Island bent," 

 is native to America. Another 

 small, creeping form is the 

 common " creeping bent " 

 grass of Europe. Redtop was 

 first cultivated in Europe, but 

 has been known as a cul- 

 tivated crop in this country 

 for about one hundred years. 

 It apparently gained recog- 

 nition much later than tim- 

 othy. 



