The Book of Grasses 



chief grasses of July fields, and in midsummer acre upon acre is 

 clothed by them in varying tones of reddish purple. Perhaps 

 native in the North and Northwest, Red-top was brought to the 

 Eastern States from Europe in the eighteenth century and was 

 cultivated as "English Grass," but its various uses and ap- 

 pearances under many conditions of soil and climate have given 

 it a multitude of names. As Bonnet-grass it was common along 

 the valley of the Connecticut River, where the stems were 

 formerly cut to be braided into hats. As Fioren a variety which 

 produces a smooth and velvet-like turf was most highly extolled 

 in England and Ireland as a winter fodder grass, and its sponsor 

 was at one time caricatured as mowing grass in winter while snow 

 lay upon the ground. The most common form of Red- top is 

 found in nearly all the states, and as in early summer the un- 

 opened panicles, in narrow spikes of green or purple, rise above 

 the leaves the grass may be recognized several weeks before it is 

 in bloom. Where the earth is moist the blossoms are darker in 

 colour, and in the more luxuriant growth of rich soil rootstocks 

 are formed, which in gardens are as difficult to eradicate as are 

 those of the too-common Couch-grass. 



Red-top. Herd's Grass. Bent-grass. Agrdstis dlba L. 



Perennial. Exceedingly variable. 



Stem 1-4 ft. tall, erect, not branched. Ligule 4" long or less. Leaves 

 2'- 10' long, I "-4" wide, flat, rough. 



Panicle I'-xo' long, open, branches many. Spikelets i-flowered, about 

 i" long, green or reddish purple. Scales 3; outer scales acute, about 

 equal, rough on keels; flowering scale obtuse or acute; palet not less 

 than one third as long as flowering scale. Stamens 3, anthers white, 

 short. 



Fields, meadows, and waysides. June to September. 



Throughout nearly the whole of North America. 



Rough Hair-grass. Fly-away Grass. Agrdstis hyemalis 

 (Walt.) BSP. 



Root biennial. 

 Stem 1-2I ft. tall, erect, slender, not branched. Ligule i"-2" long. 



Leaves 2' -6' long, |"-i|" wide, rough, basal leaves usually involute 



and bristle-form. 

 Panicle 6'-2o' long, widely open, usually reddish purple; branches 



many, hair-like, rough, divided near the middle, spikelet bearing at 



the extremities, lower branches 3'-8' long. Spikelets i-flowered, 1" 



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