Tridens  flavus (L.).
Purpletop

Habit: 		Tufted perennial.
Culms: 		Erect, solitary, tufted, 1-1.5 m. high, flattened below.
Blades: 	Elongate, 20-90 cm. long, upper shorter, 3-12 mm. wide, tapering, generally smooth
		except rough margined.
Sheaths: 	The upper shorter than the internodes, the lower overlapping, flattened,
		especially the lower ones, pubescent at the throat and collar, otherwise glabrous.
Ligule: 	A ring of very short hairs.
Inflorescence: 	Panicle terminal, showy, loose and open, 15-35 cm. long, usually purple
		to finally nearly black, rarely yellowish, the slender branches spreading
		to drooping, naked below, the axils pubescent, the axis, branches, bractlets and
		pedicels viscid.
Spikelets: 	5-9 mm. long, 5-8-flowered, slightly compressed, green or purplish,
		the flowers perfect, or the upper one staminate, rachilla disarticulating
		above the glumes and between the florets.
Glumes: 	Thin, subacute, mucronate, 1-nerved, unequal, 2-4 mm. long, shorter than
		the lowest floret.
Lemmas: 	About 3-4 mm. long, 3-nerved, the 3 nerves excurrent, pubescent on the
		callus and lower half of keel and margins.
Palea: 		A little shorter than the lemma, 2-toothed, ciliate on the nerves,
		somewhat bowed out below.
Fruit: 		Grain concavo-convex.
Habitat: 	Fields, prairie and open woods.  July-September.
Kansas Range:	East two thirds.
Synonyms:	Tridens flavus (L.) A.S. Hitchc. var. flavus