Poa saltuensis
Poa autumnalis
old-pasture blue grass
autumn bluegrass
20-95 cm tall, 0.8-1.5 mm thick.
23-86 cm tall, 0.8-1.8 mm thick, bases often decumbent.
closed for 1/3-2/3 their length;
ligules 0.2-3(4) mm, smooth or sparsely scabrous, truncate to obtuse;
blades 1-3.6 (6) mm wide, flat, thin, lax, veins prominent.
closed for 1/3 – 1/2 their length;
ligules 0.2-1.9(2.5) mm, smooth or obtuse;
blades (0.5)1-4 mm wide, flat or folded, thin.
mainly pseudointravaginal.
mainly pseudointravaginal.
4-20(24) cm long, less than 1/4 the plant height, lax;
nodes with 1-3 branches;
branches ascending to spreading, lax, angled, angles prominent, scabrous.
(5)8-20 cm, erect or lax, broadly pyramidal at maturity, open, sparse, lower axils sometimes sparsely pubescent;
nodes with 1-2(4) branches;
branches 5-12 cm, spreading to reflexed, straight, angled, angles scabrous, with 3-8 spikelets in the distal 1/4-1/3.
3-5.6 mm, laterally compressed;
florets 2-5;
rachilla internodes glabrous, usually shorter than 1 mm.
3-8.2 mm, laterally compressed;
florets 2-4(6);
rachilla internodes smooth, sparsely softly puberulent.
2/3 – 3/4 as long as the adjacent lemmas, distinctly keeled;
lower glumes 1(3)-veined;
upper glumes shorter than or subequal to the lowest lemmas;
calluses webbed;
lemmas 2.4-4 mm, lanceolate to broadly lanceolate, distinctly keeled, usually glabrous, bases of marginal veins rarely sparsely softly puberulent, lateral veins prominent, intercostal regions smooth, minutely bumpy, apices obtuse to sharply acute or acuminate;
palea keels scabrous;
anthers 0.4-1.5 mm.
distinctly shorter than the adjacent lemmas, distinctly keeled, keels scabrous;
lower glumes subulate to lanceolate, (1)3-veined;
upper glumes lanceolate to broadly lanceolate;
calluses usually glabrous, rarely sparsely and shortly webbed;
lemmas (2.8)3-4.6 mm, lanceolate, distinctly keeled, keels and marginal veins short- to long-villous, hairs extending up 3/4 of the keel, lateral veins prominent, intercostal regions softly puberulent, smooth, apices obtuse, blunt;
palea keels softly puberulent to short-villous for much of their length, apices scabrous;
anthers 1-1.4(2.6) mm.
= 28.
Poa saltuensis
Poa autumnalis
Poa saltuensis grows in woodlands of the north-central and northeastern United States and adjacent Canada, extending south to Tennessee. The two subspecies are sometimes treated as species. The variation between the two overlaps and is correlated to some extent with ecology and geography. Poa marcida (p. 512), a western species once included in P. saltuensis, differs in having closed sheaths and attenuate lemmas.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Poa autumnalis grows primarily in the southeastern United States, being found in forests of the eastern and western Appalachian piedmont and coastal plain. It is readily distinguished from other perennial species of the eastern United States by its combination of glabrous calluses and pubescent palea keels.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
1. Anthers 0.4-1 mm long; lemma apices obtuse to acute, firm or scarious for up to 0.25 mm | subsp. languida |
1. Anthers 0.9-1.5 mm long; lemma apices acute to acuminate, scarious for 0.25-0.5 mm | subsp. saltuensis |
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