AGROSTIS PALUSTRIS
35. Agrostis palustris Huds. CREEPING BENT-GRASS, CARPET BENTGRASS.
A prostrate and low-growing, glabrous perennial with numerous long stolons spreading along the surface of the ground, branching and rooting at the nodes; forming mats of foliage in moist situations in pastures and ditches, generally on sandy soils.
Leaves rolled in the bud-shoot. Sheath not compressed, not keeled, glabrous, smooth, pale green or purplish, shorter than or equaling the internode in length on the vegetative shoots, split with hyaline margins. Auricles absent. Collar distinct, glabrous, pale green, usually oblique. Ligule membranous, thin, 1.5 to 3 mm. long, rounded or obtuse, finely lacerate-toothed or entire, minutely hairy on the back. Blade 1.5 to 4 mm. wide, 3 to 10 cm. long, erect, flat, tapering, distinctly ridged on upper surface, slightly keeled on lower surface, scabrous on the surfaces and margins.
Creeping bent-grass and red top are often considered as varieties of A. stolonifera being very similar to red-top in leaves and ligule and differing from it in habit of growth, the former producing long surface stolons and the latter rootstocks.
