Brown bentgrass facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Brown bentgrass |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Agrostis
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| Species: |
vinealis
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Agrostis vinealis, also known as brown bentgrass or brown bent, is a type of grass. You can find it growing naturally in many places. These include Russia, Mongolia, China, Pakistan, India, and Alaska. It has also been brought to Greenland and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands.
Contents
What Does Brown Bentgrass Look Like?
This grass usually grows to be about 30 to 60 centimeters (about 1 to 2 feet) tall. Its leaves are quite thin, only about 1 millimeter wide. Agrostis vinealis is a perennial plant. This means it lives for more than two years. It grows in clumps and has long underground stems called rhizomes. These rhizomes help the plant spread.
Stems and Leaves
The main stems, called culms, stand upright. They can be between 10 to 60 centimeters long. At the base of each leaf, there is a small, thin flap called a ligule. This ligule is about 1 to 5 millimeters long. The leaf blades are flat and feel a bit rough. They are usually 2 to 15 centimeters long and 1 to 3 millimeters wide.
Flowers and Seeds
The flowers of Agrostis vinealis grow in a cluster called a panicle. This panicle can be 2 to 20 centimeters long. It looks like an open, reddish-purple spear shape. Each tiny flower cluster is called a spikelet. Each spikelet holds one fertile flower. These spikelets are oval-shaped and are about 2 to 3.3 millimeters long. They hang from very thin stalks called pedicels.
The flower parts include a special leaf-like structure called a lemma. It is about 1.5 to 2.5 millimeters long. The lemma has a bristle-like part called an awn, which is 2 to 4.5 millimeters long. There's also a smaller part called a palea, which is very thin and about 0.5 millimeters long. The outer protective leaves of the spikelet are called glumes. They are similar in size to the spikelet itself. Each flower has two tiny scales called lodicules, two stigmas, and three stamens. The stamens are about 1 to 1.5 millimeters long.
After flowering, the plant produces small seeds. These seeds are a type of fruit with an outer layer called a pericarp. Inside, they have a starchy part called endosperm.
Where Does Brown Bentgrass Grow?
Agrostis vinealis grows in many different parts of the world.
In Europe
In Great Britain, you can find this grass growing alongside trees like birch, pine, and oak. It grows at elevations up to 845 meters, for example, on Little Dun Fell in Westmorland, Scotland. In Iceland, it likes to grow on hills and open heathlands.
In Asia
In China, this grass is found in provinces like Heilongjiang, Jilin, and Liaoning. Here, it grows at higher elevations, usually between 1500 and 1700 meters. In Pakistan, it is native to areas such as Punjab, Gilgit, and Kashmir. In these regions, it grows at even higher elevations, from 2300 to 4300 meters. You can also find it in Mongolia and India.
In North America
This grass is also found naturally in Alaska.
Images for kids
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Agrostis vinealis seeds
