Agrostis vinealis Schreb.

Brown Bent is a drought-resistant grass which spreads by means of its rhizomes to form a fine, compact turf. It is often confused with Agrostis canina from which it is distinguished by the presence of rhizomes and the absence of stolons. 2300-4300 m.

Agrostis vinealis lies at the center of a complex of closely related taxa, including in China A. flaccida and A. turkestanica. Characters separating the taxa are very slight, which has led to differences in opinion as to their taxonomic status. Agrostis vinealis itself is widespread in Eurasia, but other members are usually of more restricted distribution. Agrostis trinii, based on an E Asian element with very scabrid leaf blades, has been reported from NE China. Other characters used to distinguish it are conflicting in the literature, and it seems impossible to maintain it as distinct.

Tufted perennial with creeping rhizomes; culms 10-60 cm high, erect or geniculately ascending, smooth. Leaf-blades flat or convolute, 2-15 cm long, 1-3 mm wide, rough on both surfaces or smooth beneath; ligule 1-5 mm long, acute or obtuse. Panicle lanceolate to narrowly ovate or oblong, 2-20 cm long, usually ± contracted and rather dense before and after anthesis, green purplish or brown; inflated tip of pedicel smooth or almost so. Spikelets 2-3.3 mm long, breaking up at maturity above the persistent glumes; glumes acute, awnless, rough on the keel (or the upper almost smooth); lemma 1.5-2.5 mm long, very blunt, awnless or with a fine bent awn 2-4.5 mm long arising from slightly below the middle; palea minute; anthers 1-1.5 mm long.

Perennial, tufted, shortly rhizomatous. Culms erect from a geniculate base, 30–60 cm tall, ca. 1 mm in diam., 3-noded. Leaf sheaths smooth; leaf blades narrowly linear, flat or weakly rolled, grayish green, 5–8 cm × 0.5–2 mm, scabrid; ligule 1.5–3 mm, apex obtuse. Panicle lanceolate to narrowly ovate, 7–12 cm; branches 2–5 per node, laxly ascending, slender, moderately scabrid. Spikelets 2–2.5 mm, purple; glumes oblong-lanceolate, subequal, lower slightly longer, keel scabrid or almost smooth on upper glume, apex acuminate; callus hairs ca. 0.2 mm; lemma 2/3 spikelet length, awned from slightly below middle to lower 1/3, or awnless, apex obtuse; awn geniculate, 3–3.5 mm; palea very small. Anthers 1–1.5 mm. Fl. and fr. summer and autumn.

Distribution: Pakistan (Punjab, N.W.F.P., Gilgit & Kashmir); throughout Europe and temperate Asia.

Heilongjiang, Jilin, Liaoning, Nei Mongol [Japan, Korea, Mongolia, Pakistan, Russia; America, Europe].

Fl. & Fr. Per.: July-August.

Damp grassy places; 1500–1700 m.

Agrostis canina subsp. montana (Hartman) Hartman; A. canina subsp. trinii (Turczaninow) Hultén; A. canina var. montana Hartman; A. coarctata subsp. trinii (Turczaninow) H. Scholz; A. flaccida subsp. trinii (Turczaninow) T. Koyama; A. flaccida var. trinii (Turczaninow) Ohwi; A. trinii Turczaninow; A. vinealis subsp. trinii (Turczaninow) Tzvelev.