Agrostis microphylla Steud.
small-leaved bentgrass (small-leaf bentgrass)
Poaceae (Grass family)

Introduction to Vascular Plants

Photograph

© Jamie Fenneman     (Photo ID #9503)


Map

E-Flora BC Static Map

Distribution of Agrostis microphylla
Click here to view the full interactive map and legend

Species Information

General:
Annual grass from fibrous roots, often in dense swards, drying and shrivelling by midsummer, all shoots flowering; stems 8-45 cm tall.
Leaves:
Sheaths smooth or hairy; blades 3-15 cm long, 0.7-2.5 mm wide, flat, becoming in-rolled; ligules 1.5-4 mm long.
Flowers:
Inflorescence very dense, cylindrical, more or less constricted, occasionally interrupted near the base, 2-12 cm long, the branches mainly appressed; spikelets numerous; glumes 2.5-5 mm long, the tips tapering gradually to long points; lemmas 1.5-2 mm long, rough short-hairy outside, the midribs extended at the tips into 2 teeth to 0.5 mm long, the awns 3.5-8 mm long from the middle on the back, bent, the callus hairs in dense tufts to 0.5 mm long; paleas absent or if present, as thin membranes to 0.2 mm long; anthers 0.4-0.6 mm long.

SourceThe Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Illustration

If more than one illustration is available for a species (e.g., separate illustrations were provided for two subspecies) then links to the separate images will be provided below. Note that individual subspecies or varietal illustrations are not always available.

Ecology

Ecological Framework for Agrostis microphylla

The table below shows the species-specific information calculated from
original data (BEC database) provided by the BC Ministry of Forests and Range.
(Updated August, 2013)

Site Information
Value / Class

Avg

Min

Max

Elevation (metres)
Slope Gradient (%)
20 3 30

Aspect (degrees)
[0 - N; 90 - E; 180 - S; 270 - W]

165 60 200
Soil Moisture Regime (SMR)
[0 - very xeric; 4 - mesic;
8 - hydric]
2 0 4
Modal Nutrient Regime
Class
D
# of field plots
 species was recorded in:
11
Modal BEC Zone Class
CWH

All BEC Zones (# of stations/zone) species was recorded in

CWH(3)

Habitat and Range

Wet vernal meadows, open forests and edges of temporary pools in the lowland zone; locally frequent on SE Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands; S to CA and NW MX.

SourceThe Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Synonyms

Synonyms and Alternate Names:
Agrostis inflata Scribn.
Agrostis microphylla var. intermedia Beetle