Polypogon viridis Water Bent

Water Bent is a non-native, stoloniferous perrenial grass (sometimes annual) that originates from Southern Europe and was first recorded wild in Britain in 1860. It is rather similar to Agrostis stolonifera in its panicle structure and overall growth habit, but its florets are much more bristly and the inflorescence branches are more shortly stalked and compact. Shortly after it arrived in Britain It became a familiar weed of damp, open ground in the Channel Islands and until relatively recently that was the only place in Britain where it could be found. Since the turn of the millenium, however, it has undergone a spectacular range expansion in Britain which began in the southwest and is now ongoing in much of England. During that time it gradually colonised Wales, particularly along the south coast and is now well established in lowland Glamorgan. It is largely a plant of urban habitats, especially on roads, back lanes and streets and particularly at the bases of walls, on pavements and in gravelled areas where it is free of competition from more agressive weeds. It is likely that the recent climatic trend towards milder winters has helped its expansion. It exhibits a long flowering season, often grows in large populations and usually produces lots of seeds that are dispersed very effectively by vehicles and traffic vortexes. 

Neophyte