Poa compressa |
Poa alsodes |
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Canada blue grass, Canadian blue grass, flat-stem blue grass |
grove blue grass |
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Habit | Plants perennial; usually with solitary shoots, sometimes loosely tufted, extensively rhizomatous. | Plants perennial; not rhizomatous, not stoloniferous, loosely tufted. |
Culms | 15-60 cm, wiry, bases usually geniculate, strongly compressed; nodes strongly compressed, some proximal nodes usually exserted. |
31-126 cm. |
Sheaths | closed for 1/10 – 1/5 their length, distinctly compressed, bases of basal sheaths glabrous; ligules 1-3 mm, moderately to densely scabrous, ciliolate, apices obtuse; blades 1.5-4 mm wide, flat, cauline blades subequal. |
closed for 1/2 - 7/8 their length; ligules 0.1-1.7(2.1) mm, smooth or sparsely scabrous, truncate to obtuse; blades 0.8-4.1 mm wide, flat, lax. |
Basal branching | mainly pseudointravaginal. |
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Panicles | 2-10 cm, generally 1/6 - 1/3 as wide as long, erect, linear, lanceoloid to ovoid, often interrupted, sparse to congested, with 15-80 spikelets and mostly with 1-3 branches per node; branches 0.5-3 cm, erect to ascending, or infrequently spreading, angles densely scabrous, at least in part, with 1-15 spikelets. |
11.4-36 cm, erect or lax, narrowly pyramidal, usually open, infrequently contracted; nodes with (2)3-5(7) branches; branches spreading, straight, angled, angles sparsely to moderately scabrous. |
Spikelets | (2.3)3.5-7 mm, laterally compressed; florets 3-7; rachilla internodes usually shorter than 1 mm, smooth to muriculate. |
3.5-6.7 mm, laterally compressed; florets 2-4; rachilla internodes glabrous. |
Glumes | distinctly keeled; lower glumes 3-veined; calluses usually webbed, sometimes glabrous; lemmas 2.3-3.5 mm, lanceolate, distinctly keeled, keels and marginal veins short-villous, intercostal regions glabrous, lateral veins obscure, margins glabrous, apices acute; paleas scabrous over the keels; anthers 1.3-1.8 mm. |
ovate, distinctly keeled, keels scabrous; lower glumes 1-veined; upper glumes shorter than or subequal to the lowest lemmas; calluses webbed; lemmas 2.7-4.2(5) mm, lanceolate, distinctly keeled, keels short-villous to about midlength, marginal and lateral veins glabrous, lateral veins obscure or moderately prominent, intercostal regions glabrous, smooth, apices acute; paleas glabrous or ciliolate over the keels, apices finely scabrous; anthers 0.4-0.8 mm. |
2n | = 35, 42, 49, 50, 56, 84. |
= unknown. |
Poa compressa |
Poa alsodes |
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Distribution |
AK; AL; AR; AZ; CA; CO; CT; DC; DE; GA; IA; ID; IL; IN; KS; KY; LA; MA; MD; ME; MI; MN; MO; MS; MT; NC; ND; NE; NH; NJ; NM; NV; NY; OH; OK; OR; PA; RI; SC; SD; TN; TX; UT; VA; VT; WA; WI; WV; WY; HI; AB; BC; MB; NB; NL; NS; NT; ON; PE; QC; SK; YT
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CT; DE; IL; IN; KY; MA; MD; ME; MI; MN; NC; NH; NJ; NY; OH; PA; SC; TN; VA; VT; WI; WV; NB; NS; ON; PE; QC
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Discussion | Poa compressa is common in much of the Flora region. It is sometimes considered to be native, but this seems doubtful. It is rare and thought to be introduced in Siberia and only local in the Russian Far East, but is common in Europe. In the Flora region, it is often seeded for soil stabilization, and has frequently escaped. It grows mainly in riparian areas, wet meadows, and disturbed ground. Its distinctly compressed nodes and culms, exserted lower culm nodes, rhizomatous growth habit, and scabrous panicle branches make it easily identifiable. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Poa alsodes grows in mesic woodlands of eastern Canada and the northeastern United States, extending south to Illinois, Tennessee, and North Carolina, particularly in the Appalachian Mountains. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 24, p. 579. | FNA vol. 24. |
Parent taxa | Poaceae > subfam. Pooideae > tribe Poeae > Poa > subg. Poa > sect. Tichopoa | Poaceae > subfam. Pooideae > tribe Poeae > Poa > subg. Poa > sect. Sylvestres |
Sibling taxa | ||
Name authority | L. | A. Gray |
Web links |
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