This native bunched perennial has stout flowering stems from 2-5 feet tall. Green stems have tinges of red about the dark reddish nodes (D). Leaf blades are 8-20 inches long and less than 1/2 inch wide (C). Upper leaf sheaths have a focal collection of hairs where they join the leaf base (E). The flower cluster is an open panicle with erect or drooping branches bearing reddish to purplish spikelets at their tips. Their florets have blunt, white stamens and deep purple stigmas (F).
Upland prairies, open woods, pastures, roadsides. Purpletop is uncommon on South Stream Trail at Fontenelle Forest. At Neale Woods it is uncommon in the Nebraska Prairie restoration. Flowering occurs from August to October.
Purpletop is sometimes called Redtop. We have reserved the common name Redtop for another species, (Agrostis gigantea) which also has red spikelets and is found along Stream Trail at Fontenelle Forest. Aside from the red spikelets, Redtop is very different from Purpletop and easily differentiated by the following characters. Redtop flowers much earlier in the season, is a much shorter species, and has whorled upright panicle branches.
The content of NatureSearch is provided by dedicated volunteer Naturalists of Fontenelle Forest who strive to provide the most accurate information available. Contributors of the images retain their copyrights. The point of contact for this page is: Neal Ratzlaff.