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colonial bentgrass

Scientific Name: Agrostis capillaris

Family: Poaceae

Category: Monocot

Growth: Graminoid

Duration: Perennial

Other Names:

       

Colonial Bentgrass: A Versatile Turfgrass

Colonial bentgrass (Agrostis capillaris) is a cool-season grass known by several common names, including Common Bent and Browntop. It is recognized for its versatility and is used in various applications, from home lawns to golf course fairways.

Considerations for Pets

  • This grass produces narrow leaves and kneehigh stems.
  • It is a rhizomatous and stoloniferous perennial, which means it spreads via underground stems and above-ground runners.

Taxonomy and Nomenclature

  • Scientific Name: Agrostis capillaris L.
  • Synonyms: Agrostis tenuis Sibth. (as described in Hitchcock's "Manual of the Grasses of the United States")
  • Family: Poaceae (Grass family)

Distribution and Habitat

  • Originally introduced from Europe, Colonial Bentgrass is now widely naturalized in the U.S.
  • It thrives in cool coastal weather and is well-adapted to moist, acidic soils in cool climates.
  • It is particularly common in coastal regions of northern California.

Ecological Role

  • Colonial Bentgrass is considered an aggressive cool-season grass.
  • It is noted as being invasive in the northeastern and western states.

Morphological Characteristics and Growth Habits

  • It is a rhizomatous and stoloniferous perennial, meaning it spreads through rhizomes (underground stems) and stolons (above-ground runners).
  • The plant contains narrow leaves and kneehigh stems with large, diffuse, pinicle inflorescences.
  • Colonial bentgrass has a flat leaf.

Interactions with Other Organisms

  • The epidemiology of Anguina agrostis (a nematode) has been studied in field plots of Colonial bentgrass near Corvallis, Oregon.

Varieties and Cultivars

  • Several cultivars of Colonial Bentgrass exist, including Highland, SR7150, and others.

Further Information

  • A.S. Hitchcock’s “Manual of the Grasses of the United States” (1971, first published in 1935)
  • Seed Research of Oregon (www.sroseed.com)
  • Encyclopaedia Britannica