Agrostis densiflora
Agrostis clavata
California bent, California bent grass
clavate bent
9-85 cm, erect, sometimes decumbent at the base, sometimes rooting at the lower nodes, usually with 4-7 nodes.
30-70 cm, erect, smooth, with 3-6 nodes.
basal and cauline;
sheaths smooth or scabrous;
ligules 1-4.8(7.5) mm, dorsal surfaces scabrous, apices truncate to obtuse, erose-lacerate, sometimes ciliolate;
blades 2-12 cm long, 2-10 mm wide, upper blades broader than those below, flat.
mostly basal or basal and cauline;
sheaths smooth;
ligules (0.5) 1.5-4.2 mm, dorsal surfaces scabrous, apices truncate to rounded, erose-lacerate, often ciliolate;
blades 10-20 cm long, 1-5(7) mm wide, flat, scabrous at least along the margins and/or veins.
2-10 cm long, 0.5-2 cm wide, narrow and spikelike to dense, lobed-lanceolate, bases exserted or enclosed by the upper sheaths at maturity;
branches to 1.5 cm, scabrous, appressed, branching at the base and mostly hidden by the spikelets;
pedicels about 0.4-3 mm.
8-35 cm long, 3-10 cm wide, widely ovate, becoming lax, open, usually exserted, bases sometimes enclosed in the upper sheaths at maturity, lowest node with (1)2-8 branches;
branches scabrous, spreading, branched above midlength, spikelet-bearing in the distal 1/2 - 2/3, lower branches 3-12 cm;
pedicels 0.5-5.5 mm, clavate;
secondary panicles often present in the leaf axils, smaller than the primary panicles.
lanceolate to narrowly ovate, yellowish, sometimes tinged with purple, or greenish purple.
narrowly ovate to lanceolate, greenish or light brownish purple.
generally equal, 2-3.3 mm, 1-veined, densely scabrous, aculeolate on the veins, narrowly acute to acuminate or somewhat mucronate, mucros to about 0.5 mm;
callus hairs to 0.3 mm, usually dense;
lemmas 1.5-2.1 mm, smooth or scabridulous, translucent, (3)5-veined, veins prominent to obscure, sometimes prominent only distally, apices acute to obtuse, veins usually extended as teeth up to 0.3 mm, unawned or awned from above midlength, awns to 3.5 mm, straight, readily deciduous;
paleas 0.3-0.7 mm, thin;
anthers 3, 0.5-2 mm.
subequal, 1.5-2.8 mm, lanceolate, 1-veined, keels somewhat aculeolate, apices usually acute, sometimes acuminate;
calluses usually sparsely hairy, hairs to 0.2 mm, sometimes glabrous;
lemmas 1.2-2 mm, smooth, glabrous, translucent to opaque, 5-veined, veins prominent distally or obscure, apices acute, entire, unawned;
paleas absent, or to 0.2 mm and thin;
anthers 3, 0.3-0.6 mm, to 1/2 as long as the lemmas.
1-1.5 mm;
endosperm solid.
0.9-1.3 mm.
= 42.
= [28], 42.
Agrostis densiflora
Agrostis clavata
Agrostis densiflora is endemic to coastal Oregon and California. It grows in sandy soils, on cliffs, and in scrublands. It appears to be related to A. exarata (see previous), and hybridizes with A. blasdalei (p. 656).
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Agrostis clavata grows in disturbed ground on sandbars and gravelbars, and in wet meadows and coniferous forests, from Sweden across northern Asia to Kamchatka. It was recently found in Alaska, the Yukon, and the Northwest Territories, and appears to be native there. It differs from the similarly large-panicled A. scabra (see next) in its much broader, flat leaves.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
CA
OR
Flora NW
PNW Herbaria
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist
USDA Plants Database
