Poa paludigena
Poa sylvestris
bog bluegrass, eastern bog bluegrass
woodland bluegrass
10-55 cm, very slender, weak.
30-120 cm, bases often decumbent.
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 (1/20) 1/2-7/8 their length, terete, throats frequently ciliate near the point of fusion;
ligules 0.5-2.7 mm, smooth or sparsely scabrous, truncate to obtuse;
blades 0.7-5 mm wide, flat, thin, lax.
mostly extravaginal.
mainly pseudointravaginal.
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.
(6.7)9-20 cm, open, narrowly conical at maturity;
nodes with (2)3-10 branches per node;
branches (2)3-7 cm, spreading to eventually reflexed, straight, angled, angles several, densely scabrous, with 1-11 spikelets.
3.2-5.2 mm, laterally compressed, broadly lanceolate to ovate;
florets 2-3(5);
rachilla internodes smooth, glabrous.
2.5-4.4 mm, laterally compressed;
florets 2-3(4);
rachilla internodes longer than (1)1.2 mm, smooth, glabrous.
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 1(3)-veined;
upper glumes shorter than or subequal to the lowest lemmas;
calluses webbed;
lemmas 2.1-3.1 mm, broadly lanceolate, distinctly keeled, keels and marginal veins short-villous, extending to near the apices on the keels, lateral veins prominent, softly puberulent to short-villous, intercostal regions usually sparsely softly puberulent, smooth, apices obtuse to acute;
palea keels softly puberulent at midlength, apices finely scabrous;
anthers 1-1.8 mm.
= unknown.
= 28.
Poa paludigena
Poa sylvestris
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 sylvestris grows in southeastern Canada and throughout much of the eastern United States, mainly at low elevations in woodlands, especially in riparian zones. It is easily distinguished from P. wolfii (p. 514) by its smaller, more numerous spikelets and lemmas that are usually sparsely hairy between the veins. Plants from the middle Appalachian Mountains have been confused with P. paludigena (p. 572); P. sylvestris is usually larger, has more than 2 branches per panicle node, is pubescent between the lemma veins and palea keels, and has larger anthers.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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