Family: Poaceae
purple-top
Etymology: Tridens: from tres for "three" and dens for "tooth"
Plants: perennial grass
Conservation Status: Introduced - naturalized
Plants: perennial grass
Conservation Status: Introduced - naturalized
Roadsides, fields, powerline rights-of-way; rarely invading dry-mesic prairies. This species is native south of Wisconsin and was first collected in 1961. Williams (1997) reviewed its spread and noted that it thrives along dry roadsides where it forms conspicuous colonies in late summer. It is most common in Grant Co. but has also been found in other counties along the Wisconsin River with disjunct occurrences in La Crosse and Marquette Cos. In 2019, a population was discovered straddling the Walworth-Waukesha Co. line. The axis and branches of the inflorescence are glutinous.
Flora of North America: Flora of North America Floristic Rating: Wetland Indicator = UPL USDA Plants Database: Federal Distribution and detailed information including photos Grasses of Iowa: Detailed photographs, descriptions, maps
