Tridens flavus (L.) Hitchc.

Purple Top; Tall Redtop; Grease Grass

Herb

Perennial

Vascular

Purple Top is a native herbaceous perennial in the Grass family (Poaceae). It can be found throughout Alabama. Purple Top occurs on roadsides, in pastures, in open woodlands, in prairies, and on glades and outcrops. It is a perennial warm season bunch grass with a fibrous root system and short rhizomes. Plants are 3-5 feet in height with unbranched stems. The stems are green in color, round in cross section, and glabrous. Leaves are basal and alternate on the stem, linear in outline, glabrous, with minutely scabrous margins. The stem leaves tend to be “floppy”, with drooping points. Flowers are produced in spikes arranged in an open terminal panicle. The thin branches of the panicle usually occur in whorls of 2-3 and are spreading/drooping. The spiklets area shiny red/purple color and are covered with an oily substance inspiring the common name “Grease Grass”. The spiklets become tan/brown with age and persist into the winter months. The fruit is a grain. Purple Top is a larval food plant for the Hobomok Skipper (Poanes hobomok), Zabulon Skipper (Poanes zabulon), Crossline Skipper (Polites origenes), Little Glassywing (Pompeius verna), and Common Wood-Nymph butterfly (Cercyonis pegala). Purple Top is available as seed form some native plant companies. It can be used in meadows, prairies, and intermixed with wildflower plantings.—A. Diamond

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Native FACU (NWPL)

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