Poaceae

Purpletop tridens

Tridens flavus (L.) Hitchc.

Family: Poaceae
Genus: Tridens

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Purpletop tridens: Tridens flavus — Photo: Matt Lavin, CC BY-SA 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons

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Common names

By language (1)

English: Purpletop tridens

Synonyms

Cynodon carolinianus (P.Beauv.) Raspail
Eragrostis arundinacea Jedwabn.
Eragrostis tricuspis Trin.
Festuca flava (L.) F.Muell.
Festuca purpurea Schreb. ex Steud.
Festuca quadridens Poir.
Panicum festucoides Poir.
Poa arundinacea Poir.
Poa caerulescens Michx. ex Kunth
Poa flava L.
Poa quinquefida Pursh
Poa seslerioides Michx.
Schedonorus quadridens (Poir.) Roem. & Schult.
Sieglingia cuprea (Jacq.) Millsp.
Sieglingia flava Kuntze
Sieglingia seslerioides Scribn.
Sieglingia seslerioides var. intermedia Vasey ex L.H.Dewey
Tricuspis caroliniana P.Beauv.
Tricuspis flava (L.) F.T.Hubb.
Tricuspis noveboracensis P.Beauv.
Tricuspis quinquefida Beauv. ex G.Don
Tricuspis seslerioides Torr.
Tricuspis seslerioides var. pallida Holm
Tricuspis sesleroides var. flexuosa Alph.Wood
Tridens flavus f. cuprea (Jacq.) Fosberg
Tridens flavus f. cupreus (J.Jacq.) Fosberg
Tridens flavus var. aristatus (Scribn.) Shinners
Tridens flavus var. flavus
Tridens quinquefidus (Pursh) Roem. & Schult.
Tridens seslerioides Nash
Triodia coerulescens Desv.
Triodia cuprea J.Jacq.
Triodia festucoides (Poir.) Desv.
Triodia flava Hitchc.
Triodia flava f. cuprea (J.Jacq.) Fosberg
Triodia flava f. flava
Triodia flava var. aristata (Scribn.) Fernald & Griscom
Triodia novaeboracensis Desv.
Triodia seslerioides Benth. ex Vasey
Triodia seslerioides var. aristata Scribn.

and 7 more.

Flowers

Flower colour: yellow (USDA PLANTS Database)

Characteristics

Growth habit: Graminoid
Lifespan: Perennial
In the US and Canada: Canada: introduced, Lower 48 states: native

Photos

Photo: Matt Lavin, CC BY-SA 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Ethan Long, CC BY-SA 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons

More in Tridens

Sources: classification, synonyms from World Flora Online Plant List (2026-06, CC0 1.0); common names, popularity from Wikidata (2026-10-26, CC0 1.0); common names, US characteristics from USDA PLANTS Database (2025-05-29, CC0 1.0). About our plant data.