Species Detail Grasses

Plant - Max Licher @http://swbiodiversity.org, Usage Rights: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike (CC BY-SA)		Yavapai County Native & Naturalized Plants Agrostis exarata - spike bentgrass Synonyms: Agrostis aenea, A.alaskana, A.ampla, A.asperifolia, A.exarata ssp. minor, Agrostis exarata var. minor (see USDA for more) Other Common Names: spiked bent, spike red top, western bentgrass Plant Form: Grass Family: Poaceae


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Seedheads Max Licher @http://swbiodiversity.org, Usage Rights: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike (CC BY-SA)


	Grass Description - Glossary of Grass Terminology Origin: Native Season: Warm Habitat Description: Moist soils along streams and in canyons and meadows. Plant Communities:Riparian Elevation: 3500 - 10000 feet General Description Desc: Tufted perennial, sometimes rhizomatous but not stoloniferous with stems up to 40 inches tall, erect or drooping at the base. Leaves mostly basal below the middle of the stems. Identification Notes: Tall bunchgrass, may be rhizomatous; blades flat or folded, 2 to 8 inches long; ligules 1/16 to 5/16 inch long and lacerate; seedhead spikelike, short appressed branches bear one-flowered spikelets to the base; glumes nearly equal. Grass Type: Perennial bunchgrass Rhizomes: Y Stolons: N Large Dense Clump (> 2 feet): N Bushy (highly branched): N Height with Seedheads: Greater than 36 inches Seedhead Structure: Branched - contracted Seedhead Droops: N Flowering Period: May - Oct Flower Characteristics Number of Flowers per Spikelet: One-flowered Spikelets One-sided: N Awns: Less than 1/4 inch Three Awns: N Awns Bent: N Flower and Seedhead Notes: Seedhead is a dense slender spike, bearing spikelets to the base. Seedhead is 4 to 10 inches tall with branches that are appressed or ascending. Spikelets bear a single fertile floret and are greenish or purplish. Vegetative Charcteristics Blade Hairy: Y Blade with White Margins: N Blade Cross section: Flat or folded Blade Notes: Blades are ascending to spreading up to 8 inches long, 1/4 inch wide. Blade margins are flat or folded inward. Leaf blades are mostly smooth but may be hairy or rough. Sheath Hairy: Y Tuft of Hairs at top of Sheath or Collar: N Ligules: Membranous Auricles (Ear-like lobes at collar area: N Forage Value: Spike bentgrass is highly palatable and rated as good forage for cattle, horses, and elk, and fair to good for sheep and deer.


	Arizona Cooperative Extension Yavapai County 840 Rodeo Dr #C Prescott, AZ 86305 (928) 445-6590	Version 8.0 http://cales.arizona.edu/yavapaiplants/SpeciesDetailGrass.php Last Updated: Dec 13, 2022 Content Questions/Comments: Email Matt Halldorson Legal Disclaimer