HOW TO KNOW THE GRASSES 



120a. Midnerve and lateral nerves of lemmas pubescent 121 



120b. Lemmas glabrous or minutely scaberulous, not pubescent. .. 122 



121a. Spikelets 6 — 8 mm. long; keels and marginal nerves of lemmas 



pubescent; intermediate nerves inconspicuous, not pubescent. 



Fig. 154v 



Poa iendlenana (Steud.) Vasey 



MUTTON GRASS 



Figure 154 



Perennial; erect, densely tufted bunch 

 grass; leaves mostly basal, stiff and sca- 

 brous, folded or rolled, 1 — 2 mm. wide; 

 culms 30 — 50 cm. tall, not much exceeding 

 the basal leaves; panicles dense, oblong, 

 2 — 7 cm. long, the pale spikelets overlap- 

 ping. The plants are dioecious but the 

 spikelets of both sexes ore similar. Ligules 

 short, less than 1 mm. long. Medium alti- 

 tude hills and dry forests in the western 

 mountains, from 2300 — 4000 m. It is re- 

 garded as one of the best of the western 

 forage grasses, especially for sheep. April 

 —July. 



Poa Jongiiiguia Scribn. & Will, is very similar, but has ligules up 

 to 5 — 7 mm. long. Range about the same as the preceding species. 



121b. Spikelets 4 — 6 mm. long; keels, intermediate nerves, and mar- 

 ginal nerves of lemmas conspicuous, usually all pubescent. Fig. 

 155. 

 ANNUAL BLUEGRASS Poa annua L. 



Annual; tufted. The diminutive light 

 green plants, usually less than 20 cm. tall, 

 are soft, weak, and spreading. Panicles 

 3 — 7 cm. long, pyramidal, with short, 

 spreading branches. The plants some- 

 times grow in shallow water, then be- 

 coming long, slender, and rooting at the 

 nodes. This species begins growth in 

 fall or early spring and blooms very early, 

 and may die out when hot weather comes. 

 Some blooming also occurs in fall. Lawns, 

 paths, margins of water and open woods, 

 roadsides. Introduced from Europe. 



Figure 155 



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