Agrostis humilis facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Agrostis humilis |
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| Drawing of Agrostis humilis | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Agrostis
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| Species: |
humilis
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Agrostis humilis is a type of grass often called mountain bent grass or alpine bentgrass. You can find this plant growing in the Western United States and Canada.
About Mountain Bent Grass
This grass is a perennial plant. This means it lives for more than two years. It grows in clumps, forming small tufts. Its stems, called culms, are usually about 5 to 10 centimeters (2 to 4 inches) long.
The leaves of the plant are long and thin. They can be 2 to 10 centimeters (about 1 to 4 inches) long. Each leaf is about 0.5 to 1 millimeter wide. At the base of each leaf, there's a small flap called a ligule. It is very tiny, only about 0.5 to 1 millimeter long.
Flowers and Seeds
The flowers of the mountain bent grass grow in a cluster. This cluster is called a panicle. It looks like a narrow, upright bunch. The panicle is about 1.5 to 2.5 centimeters (0.6 to 1 inch) long. It is about 0.5 centimeters (0.2 inches) wide.
Inside the panicle are small flower parts called spikelets. Each spikelet is about 2 millimeters long. They are shaped like an oval. Each spikelet holds one fertile flower. These flowers have tiny, clear parts called glumes and lemmas.
The flowers also have three stamens. These are the parts that produce pollen. After the plant flowers, it produces seeds. These seeds are very small and linear. They are called caryopses.
Threat Status
In the state of California, Agrostis humilis is considered an endangered plant. This means there are not many of these plants left in the wild. People are working to protect them.
