Home/Species/ Arctic Bentgrass

Agrostis mertensii

Trin.

Arctic Bentgrass

G5Secure Found in 1 roadless area NatureServe Explorer →

G5SecureGlobal Rank

Identity

Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.147294

Element CodePMPOA040T0

Record TypeSPECIES

ClassificationSpecies

Classification StatusStandard

Name CategoryVascular Plant

Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations

KingdomPlantae

PhylumAnthophyta

ClassMonocotyledoneae

OrderCyperales

FamilyPoaceae

GenusAgrostis

Synonyms

Agrostis borealisHartmanAgrostis borealis var. americana(Scribn.) Fern.

Other Common Names

Agrostide de Mertens (FR) Northern Bentgrass (EN) northern bentgrass (EN)

Concept Reference

Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.

Conservation Status

Rank MethodExpertise without calculation

Review Date2016-03-03

Change Date1988-12-16

Threat Impact Comments

Human disturbance by trampling presents a low-level threat to this species which has a limited distribution in the southern Appalachian Mountains (Southern Appalachian Species Viability Project 2002).

Ecology & Habitat

Description

Northern Bentgrass is a tufted perennial which can be up to 4 dm tall. The flat leaves are 1-3 mm wide, and the membranous crest where the blade meets the stem (ligule) is 1-2 mm long. Foliage is glabrous or slightly roughened. 1-flowered spikelets are borne on the ends of erect or ascending branches in an open inflorescence. The pointed glumes are 2-3 mm long, and lemmas are about the same length as the glumes but with a bent awn, which is ca. 3 mm long. The palea is less than 0.5 mm long, and anthers are less than 0.7 mm long.

Diagnostic Characteristics

A technical key and microscope are required for positive identification. A. HUMILIS and A. IDAHOENSIS could occur above timberline, but they do not have awned lemmas.

Habitat

This species occurs in grasslands, rocky mountain slopes, cliffs, as well as in river and lake valleys on banks and gravel bars (Harvey, 2022).

Terrestrial Habitats

Grassland/herbaceousCliff

Palustrine Habitats

Riparian

Other Nations (2)

CanadaN5

Province	Rank	Native
New Brunswick	S3	Yes
Saskatchewan	SH	Yes
Yukon Territory	S3	Yes
Northwest Territories	S4	Yes
Island of Newfoundland	S4	Yes
Labrador	S4	Yes
British Columbia	S5	Yes
Alberta	S2	Yes
Manitoba	S2	Yes
Ontario	S2	Yes
Quebec	S5	Yes
Nunavut	S4	Yes

United StatesNNR

Province	Rank	Native
Colorado	S3	Yes
Alaska	SNR	Yes
Utah	SNR	Yes
Maine	S2	Yes
Montana	S3	Yes
Vermont	S1	Yes
Wyoming	S2	Yes
West Virginia	S1	Yes
North Carolina	SH	Yes
Tennessee	S1	Yes
New Hampshire	S3	Yes
Washington	S1	Yes
New York	S2	Yes

Plant Characteristics

Economic Value (Genus)No

Roadless Areas (1)

New Hampshire (1)

Area	Forest	Acres
Great Gulf Ext.	White Mountain National Forest	15,110

References (3)

Harvey, M.J. 2022. Flora of North America: Agrostis mertensii. Accessed: August 29, 2022. http://floranorthamerica.org/Agrostis_mertensii
Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
Southern Appalachian Species Viability Project. 2002. A partnership between the U.S. Forest Service-Region 8, Natural Heritage Programs in the Southeast, NatureServe, and independent scientists to develop and review data on 1300+ regionally and locally rare species in the Southern Appalachian and Alabama region. Database (Access 97) provided to the U.S. Forest Service by NatureServe, Durham, North Carolina.