Agrostis gigantea
Giant bentgrass
The giant bent grass ( Agrostis gigantea ), also called Fiorin Grass, is a native of Central Europe, now through the importation and deportation occurring grass of the Gramineae family almost worldwide ( Poaceae ).
Features
The giant bent grass reaches stature heights between 40 and 120 centimeters, sometimes it is up to 1.50 meters tall. The deciduous Hemikryptophyt forms short, thick and tough underground runners ( rhizomes) and therefore grows in small, dense clumps. Aboveground Kriechtriebe missing. The three-to sechsknotigen, smooth stems grow erect or ascending from a curved or low- lying reason. They take root and branch out to the lower nodes ( more nodes ). The 3 to 11 mm wide, 5 to 20 centimeters long and bare leaf blades are serrated on the upper side and lower side matt. They are tapered thin, rolled when young, and later flat. Sheaths are rounded on the back, smooth or slightly rough. The leaf base is not extended in ears. The blunt and toothed ligule ( ligule ) measures from 1.5 to 6 mm in length.
The inflorescence is an erect, oblong to ovate, open, even after the flowering period and very loose panicle. It reaches 8 to 25 centimeters long and 3-15 centimeters wide. The panicles are vielästig, green or purple. The panicle branches are combined to form clusters. The rough stalks measure 0.5 to 3 millimeters in length. The many -flowered and laterally compressed spikelets are 2-3 mm long. The two perennial, einnervigen glumes are as long as the spikelets. The three - to five annoying lemmas are somewhat shorter than the glumes, with fine hairs at the base and grannenlos, rarely with a very short awn that departs at or near the top. The heyday of the giant bentgrass extends from late June to August.
The chromosome number is 2n = 42
Distribution and location
The distribution area extends across the whole of Europe to western Asia. The grass was imported to North America, Australia and New Zealand. It settled on the hill and to the subalpine altitudinal zone. In Germany it is scattered to widespread scattered in Austria before.
The giant bent grass colonized moist to wet, basic and sickerfeuchte, nutrient -and base- rich moderately acidic sandy, loam and clay soils. It grows in meadows, ruderal and riparian reeds, further in light forests and in wood blows. In the phytosociological system, the giant bent grass is a Klassenkennart of grassland societies ( Molinio - Arrhenatheretea ) here, especially in the nutrient-rich wet meadows companies ( Calthion ), but also in reed beds and sedge marshes ( Phragmitetalia australis).
Use
The giant bent grass is of little agricultural value. It is a temperate forage grass and is usually not ansaatwürdig. It is recommended in Germany in Ansaatgrünland only for wet meadows. In the United States the grass for soil consolidation and for hay is grown. On light, sandy and gravelly soils the grass tends to weed infestation.