Agrostis gigantea Roth

• Authority

  Gleason, Henry A. & Cronquist, Arthur J. 1991. Manual of vascular plants of northeastern United States and adjacent Canada. lxxv + 910 pp.

• Family

  Poaceae

• Scientific Name

  Agrostis gigantea Roth

• Description

  Species Description - Rhizomatous and sod-forming, to 10 or even 15 dm, not stoloniferous; larger (upper) ligules mostly 2.5–6 mm, higher than wide; lvs 3–8 mm wide; panicle 10–20 cm, notably suffused with purplish-red, at anthesis triangular-ovoid, with widely spreading, unequal branches, sometimes later more contracted; at least some of the panicle-branches floriferous to the base; panicle- branches and often even the pedicels scabrous; spikelets rather crowded, 2–3.5 mm; glumes scabrous along the keel; lemma two-thirds as long as the glumes, distally scabrous, awnless or seldom with a short dorsal awn; callus minutely bearded; palea half to two-thirds as long as the lemma; anthers 0.8–1.5 mm; 2n=42. Native of Europe, cult. and escaped into moist meadows, shores, coastal marshes, and other moist places throughout most of the U.S. and s. Can. (A. alba, misapplied; A. stolonifera var. major)

• Common Names

  redtop