Colonial bent grass shoots rather late in the spring and also produces non-flowering stems. On many sites it is regarded as a valuable bottom grass with good sward growth and shade tolerance. Widespread in the southern German highlands and collected in light woodland by seed merchants as “fioringrass”. It also reached the USA where it is cultivated for seed production. In the international seed trade it is known as Highland bentgrass. Widely distributed on poor soils, upland meadows and rough ground where there is little competition. It makes a palatable fodder grass with the assistance of fertiliser. On many lowland and upland pastures it is a valuable fodder grass with an average feed value of 5. However, it is used far more widely in the turf sector for greening ornamental lawns, parks and golf courses. If sufficient runners are produced it forms a medium dense sward. It tolerates close cutting, is relatively slow growing but susceptible to fungal disease.
Botanical features
| Leaf | Emerging leave rolled, leaf blade open, numerous slender ribs, glabrous, underside dull. Relatively short leaf with pointed tip. Ligule rather short and usually straight. Auricles absent. |
| Culm | Culms up 50 cm tall and stiffly upright. Some stems have no flower heads. Upper leaves of culms projecting. |
| Inflorescence | Fine, loosely packed true panicle with several side branches on the lower nodes. Reddish colour. The overall shape of the panicle is ovate. It remains open and spreading before, during and after flowering. The spikelet has only a single floret. No awns. |
| Fruit | The grain is enclosed by glumes. The glumes are papery, shiny silvery white. The lemma has fine hairs at the base and no pedicel. The brown caryopsis is often visible. A proportion of the seed is always naked. TSW 0.05–0.08 g. |