Species: Agrostis mertensii Trin.

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Agrostis mertensii Trin.

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TAXONOMY

Family:

Poaceae

Genus:

Agrostis

Species Synonyms:

Agrostis bakeri Rydb.
Agrostis borealis Hartman
Agrostis borealis var. americana (Scribn.) Fern.
Agrostis borealis var. paludosa (Scribn.) Fern.
Agrostis idahoensis var. bakeri (Rydb.) W.A. Weber
Agrostis mertensii ssp. borealis (Hartman) Tzvelev
Agrostis rupestris auct. non. All.

Common Names:

northern bentgrass
arctic bentgrass

DISTRIBUTION

Canada:

central Yukon – Mackenzie – Keewatin – Baffin Island – northern Ungava – northern Labrador – Newfoundland, south to southwestern British Columbia, southwestern and northeastern Alberta – northern Saskatchewan – northern Ontario – eastern Quebec

Saskatchewan:

northern Saskatchewan; Lake Athabasca – Hasbala Lake

Ecoregion:

Tazin Lake Upland, Selwyn Lake Upland

HABITAT

Saskatchewan:

tundra boulder fields

Associated Species:

bog birch, diamondleaf willow

RARITY STATUS

Provincial Status According
to Harms (2003):

Threatened

Nature Conservancy Status:

G5 S1S2

Saskatchewan Species at
Risk Status:

None

COSEWIC Status:

None

Northern bentgrass is threatened because of rarity in Saskatchewan. It is regionally restricted to one general region of the province and most local populations are small. No threats are known or anticipated.

SPECIES DESCRIPTION

Height:

4 – 40 cm

Roots:

fibrous; rhizomes absent or very short

Stems:

perennial, tufted, erect

Leaves:

mostly basal, blades 0.2 – 2 mm wide, margin commonly rolled; sheaths hairless; ligule 1.5 – 2 mm long

Inflorescence:

branched, 1 – 14 cm long, pyramidal, lower branches whorled, branches smooth and forking near the middle

Spikelets:

2 – 3 mm long, purplish

Florets:

glumes 2 – 3 mm long, subequal; lemma nearly as long as glumes, densely rough hairy, frequently awned; awn 3 – 6 mm long, bent; palea short and nerveless or absent

Fruits:

caryopsis

AGROSTIS KEY FOR SPECIES FOUND IN SASKATCHEWAN

1 Palea at least half as long as the lemma	2
1 Palea very small or absent	3

2 Rhizomes present, scaly; runners occasionally also present; plants robust; spikelets; usually purple; ligules to 4 mm long	A. gigantea
2 Rhizomes absent; runners present; plants slender; spikelets usually straw-coloured; ligules to 6 mm long	A. stolonifera

3 Inflorescence very diffuse, spikelets borne near the ends of branches	A. scabra var. scabra
3 Inflorescence narrower, spikelets borne from near or below the middle of branches	4

4 Inflorescence branches strongly ascending; lemmas awnless	A. exarata
4 Inflorescence branches spreading or loosely ascending; lemmas distinctly awned	A. mertensii