Poa paludigena
Poa occidentalis
bog bluegrass, eastern bog bluegrass
New Mexican bluegrass, New Mexico bluegrass
10-55 cm, very slender, weak.
20-110 cm.
closed for 1/4 - 3/5 their length, terete, smooth or sparsely scabrous, margins not ciliate;
ligules 0.5-2 mm, smooth or sparsely scabrous, truncate;
blades 0.8-2 mm wide, flat, thin, soft, apices narrowly prow-shaped.
closed for (1/5)1/4 – 1/2(3/5) their length, distinctly compressed and keeled, usually densely retrorsely scabrous, rarely sparsely scabrous, margins not ciliate;
ligules 3-12 mm, densely scabrous, acute to acuminate;
blades (1.2)1.5-6(10) mm wide, flat, lax, apices broadly prow-shaped.
mostly extravaginal.
mixed intra- and extra-vaginal.
3-8(12) cm, lax, open, sparse;
nodes with 1-2(3) branches;
branches (2)3-7 cm, spreading to reflexed, capillary, angled, angles scabrous.
(6)12-40 cm, lax, eventually open, spikelets numerous, with 2-7 branches per node;
branches (3)5-18(23) cm, eventually spreading or drooping, angled, angles densely scabrous, with (5)8-40(120) spikelets.
3.2-5.2 mm, laterally compressed, broadly lanceolate to ovate;
florets 2-3(5);
rachilla internodes smooth, glabrous.
(3)4-7(8) mm, laterally compressed, with 3-7 florets;
rachilla internodes shorter than 1 mm, smooth.
narrowly lanceolate to lanceolate, thin, distinctly keeled, keels scabrous;
lower glumes 1-3-veined;
upper glumes shorter than or subequal to the adjacent lemmas;
calluses sparsely webbed;
lemmas 2.5-4 mm, lanceolate, green, distinctly keeled, keels and marginal veins short-villous, extending 2/3 – 4/5 the keel length, lateral veins fairly prominent, intercostal regions glabrous, apices obtuse to broadly acute, white, faintly bronze-colored or not;
palea keels scabrous;
anthers 0.2-0.8 mm.
distinctly keeled, keels scabrous;
lower glumes 2-3.5 mm, 1-veined;
upper glumes 2.5-4.2 mm, shorter than or subequal to the lowest lemmas;
calluses webbed;
lemmas 2.6-4.2 mm, narrowly lanceolate, distinctly keeled, scabrous distally, keels and marginal veins short- to long-villous, keel hairs extending to midlength, marginal vein hairs to 1/3 the lemma length, lateral veins and intercostal regions usually sparsely softly puberulent, lateral veins prominent, apices narrowly acute;
palea keels scabrous, glabrous;
anthers 0.3-1 mm.
= unknown.
= 14, 28.
Poa paludigena
Poa occidentalis
Poa paludigena is an inconspicuous species restricted to the northeastern United States. It grows in shady bogs and fens, often underneath other plants. Poa trivialis (p. 568) sometimes grows with P. paludigena; the former has distinctly longer ligules and anthers. Plants from the middle Appalachian Mountains are sometimes confused with P. sylvestris (p. 512). Poa paludigena is generally shorter and more slender, has shorter panicles with only 1-2 branches per node, is glabrous between the lemma veins and on the palea keels, has shorter anthers, and grows in colder habitats.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Poa occidentalis grows in natural openings and disturbed sites in mixed coniferous forests of the southwestern United States. It is one of the three diploid species of Poa known to be native to North America. The tetraploid count was obtained from a single giant individual. Poa occidentalis has been confused with P. tracyi (p. 543), but P. occidentalis consistently has shorter, well-developed anthers and lacks rhizomes. It also usually has longer ligules relative to the blade width, and is shorter-lived. A few plants are intermediate in some characteristics. Small plants of P. occidentalis sometimes resemble P. reflexa (see next).
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
IL Wildflowers
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