Poa arida
Poa interior
plains bluegrass, prairie speargrass
inland bluegrass, interior blue grass, woods blue grass
15-80 cm, erect or the bases decumbent, terete or weakly compressed;
nodes terete, 0-1 exserted.
5-80 cm, usually slender, mostly erect or ascending, several to many arising together;
nodes terete or slightly compressed, (0)1-2(3) exserted, top node usually at 1/3 – 3/5 the culm length.
closed for 1/10 – 1/5(1/4) their length, terete, smooth or sparsely scabrous, glabrous, bases of basal sheaths glabrous, distal sheath lengths (1.2)1.5-9(20) times blade lengths;
ligules (1)1.5-4(5) mm, smooth or sparsely to moderately scabrous, apices obtuse to acute;
blades strongly to gradually reduced in length distally, 1.5-5 mm wide, flat and moderately thin to folded and moderately thick and firm, abaxial surfaces smooth, adaxial surfaces smooth or sparsely to moderately scabrous, primarily over the veins, apices narrowly prow-shaped, flag leaf blades (0.4)1-7(10) cm.
closed for 1/10 – 1/5 their length, terete, bases of basal sheaths glabrous, distal sheath lengths (0.6)0.88-1.64 times blade lengths;
ligules 0.5-1.5(3) mm, sparsely to densely scabrous, apices truncate to obtuse, ciliolate;
blades 0.8-3 mm wide, mostly flat, thin, soft, appressed or abruptly ascending to spreading, straight or somewhat lax, apices narrowly prow-shaped.
intra- and extravaginal.
all or mostly extravaginal.
(2.5)4-12(18) cm, erect, usually narrowly lanceoloid, contracted, sometimes interrupted, infrequently loosely contracted, usually congested, with 25-100 spikelets;
nodes with 1-5 branches;
branches 1-9 cm, erect to infrequently ascending, rarely spreading, terete to weakly angled, smooth or the angles sparsely to moderately scabrous, with 3-24 spikelets.
(1.5)3-15(17) cm, lengths generally 2.5-4 times widths at maturity, usually erect, lax in shade forms, narrowly lanceoloid to ovoid, sparsely to moderately congested;
nodes with 2-5 branches;
branches 0.4-8(9) cm long, 1/4-1/2 the panicle length, ascending to widely spreading, fairly straight, slender to moderately stout, angled, angles moderately to densely scabrous.
3.2-7 mm, lengths to 3.5(3.8) times widths, laterally compressed;
florets 2-7;
rachilla internodes smooth, sometimes sparsely puberulent.
3-6 mm, lengths 2-3 times widths, lanceolate to narrowly ovate, laterally compressed, usually not glaucous;
florets (1)2-3(5);
rachilla internodes usually shorter than 1 mm, smooth, muriculate, or scabrous, glabrous, hispidulous, or sparsely to densely puberulent, proximal internodes frequently curved.
lanceolate, distinctly keeled, smooth or sparsely scabrous;
lower glumes 3-veined;
calluses usually glabrous, infrequently webbed, hairs to 1/4 the lemma length;
lemmas 2.5-4.5 mm, lanceolate to narrowly lanceolate, distinctly to weakly keeled, keels and marginal veins short- to long-villous, lateral veins moderately prominent, glabrous or puberulent, intercostal regions usually glabrous, infrequently hairy, hairs to 0.3 mm, margins glabrous, apices acute or blunt;
palea keels scabrous, glabrous or short-villous at midlength, intercostal regions usually glabrous, sometimes puberulent to short-villous;
anthers 1.3-2.2 mm.
lanceolate to broadly lanceolate, distinctly keeled, keels smooth or sparsely scabrous;
lower glumes 3-veined, long- or abruptly tapered to a slender point, lengths 4.5-6.3 times widths;
calluses usually webbed, infrequently glabrous in depauperate alpine specimens, webs usually scant, less than 1/2(2/3) the lemma length, frequently minute;
lemmas 2.4-4 mm, lanceolate, distinctly keeled, straight or gradually arched, not abruptly inwardly arched at the junction with the scarious apices, keels and marginal veins short-villous, hairs extending 2/3 – 3/4 the keel length, lateral veins usually glabrous, rarely sparsely puberulent, obscure, intercostal regions smooth, sometimes weakly muriculate, glabrous, margins not or slightly inrolled, glabrous, apices acute, usually partially bronze-colored;
palea keels scabrous, intercostal regions glabrous;
anthers (1.1)1.3-2.5 mm.
= 56, 56+1, 56-58, 63, 64, 70, 76, 84, ca. 90, 95+-5, 100, 103.
= 28, 42, 56.
Poa arida
Poa interior
Poa arida grows mainly on the eastern slope of the Rocky Mountains and in the northern Great Plains, primarily in riparian habitats of varying salinity or alkalinity. It is spreading eastward along heavily salted highway corridors. Reports of its occurrence west of the Continental Divide and in southwestern Texas are mostly attributable to misidentifications of P. arctica subsp. aperta (p. 530). P. arctica subsp. grayana (p. 532), and rhizomatous specimens of P. fendleriana (p. 556).
Poa arida may reflect past hybridization between P. secunda (p. 586) and a species of Poa sect. Poa. Poa glaucifolia Scribn. & T.A. Williams refers to specimens of the northern Great Plains that have a more lax growth form with broader leaves and occasionally somewhat open panicles, florets with a small web, and sometimes lacking hairs between the keel and marginal veins of the lemma. Plants with these characteristics have chromosome counts of 2ra = 56 and 70, whereas P. arida sensu stricto usually has 2n = 63, 64, or greater than 70. It is suspected that some of the variability reflects introgression from P. secunda.
Poa arida is a named intersectional hybrid
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Poa interior, a native species, grows from Alaska to western Quebec and New York, south to Arizona and New Mexico. It is restricted to the Flora region. It is fairly common from boreal forests to low alpine habitats of the Rocky Mountains. It grows in subxeric to mesic habitats, such as mossy rocks and scree, usually in forests. It is usually tetraploid.
In alpine habitats, Poa interior is often quite short, and often sympatric with P. glauca (see next). It is most reliably distinguished from P. glauca by lemmas that are glabrous between the marginal veins and keels or, rarely, sparsely puberulent on the lateral veins. It usually also differs from P. glauca subsp. rupicola in having at least a few hairs on its calluses. It can be distinguished from P. nemoralis (see previous) by its longer ligules, lower top culm node, and wider glumes and lemmas. It is sometimes difficult to distinguish from P. palustris (p. 574), but differs in having lemmas with wider hyaline margins and straight or gradually arched keels, a densely tufted habit, and scantly webbed calluses.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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