Agrostis canina | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Monocots |
Clade: | Commelinids |
Order: | Poales |
Family: | Poaceae |
Subfamily: | Pooideae |
Genus: | Agrostis |
Species: | A. canina
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Binomial name | |
Agrostis canina |
Agrostis canina, the velvety bentgrass, [2] brown bent or velvet bent, [3] is a species of grass in the family Poaceae.
Agrostis canina is a perennial plant, with stolons but no rhizomes, and culms which grow to a height of up to 75 centimetres (30 in). [4] It is frequently confused with Agrostis vinealis (formerly treated as a subspecies or variety of A. canina), which grows in more upland habitats and has rhizomes rather than stolons. [3]
The leaf blades are 2–15 cm (0.8–5.9 in) long and 1–3 mm (0.04–0.12 in) wide, [5] with an acute or acuminate ligule up to 4 mm (0.16 in) long. [4]
The plant flowers from May to July, [3] and the inflorescence is a panicle 3–16 cm (1.2–6.3 in) long and up to 7 cm (2.8 in) wide, with rough branches. [5] Each spikelet is 1.9–2.5 mm (0.07–0.10 in) long; the lemma is 1.6 mm (0.063 in) long with an awn attached around the middle. [3]
The range of Agrostis canina covers most of Europe and temperate parts of Asia, and extends from sea level to the alpine zone. [6] It has also been introduced to eastern North America, Hawaiʻi, Algeria and the Kerguelen Islands. [1]
Agrostis canina is sensitive to drought, [6] but is common in damp places, including ditches and lake margins. [7]
The short, green growth of A. canina has made it popular as a lawn grass. [5]