614 CLXI. GRAMINEZ. Pos 
41. POA. 
Gr. roa, the general name for grasses or herbage. 
Spikelets compressed, ovate, oblong or linear, many-flowered (3— 
20); glumes 2, shorter than the lower flowers ; paleze subequal, awn- 
less, often with an arachnoid web at base, bifid-toothed, the lower one 
herbaceous, scarious on the margin ; scales ovate, acute, smooth. 
* Flowers webbed at base. 
1. P. praTensis, Spear Grass. . 
St. terete, smooth, 1—2f high; /vs. carinate, linear, abruptly acute, radi- 
cal ones very long and numerous, cauline shorter than the veined, smooth 
sheaths ; stip. short, truncate; panicle diffuse, branches 3—5 together in half- 
whorls ; spikelets ovate, acute, with about 4, acute flowers; glumes lanceolate, 
rather acuminate——% An excellent grass both for hay and pasturage, very 
abundant. May, June. Varies much in luxuriance according to the soil. 
2. P. rriviAuis. (P.stolonifera. Muhl.) Roughish Meadow Grass. 
Sts. sometimes stoloniferous at base, roughish backwards, 2—3f high; 
lvs. lance-linear, acute, rough-edged, lower ones very long, cauline as long as 
the roughish sheaths, with long, acuminate stipules ; panicle diffuse, expanding, 
scabrous, branches 4—5 together in half-whorls; spzkelets oblong-ovate, 2—3- 
flowered.—2, A grass equally common and valuable with the last, N. States, 
June, July. 
3. P. compressa. Blue Grass. 
St. decumbent and rooting at base, much compressed, smooth, striate, 12 
—18’ high; Jvs. linear, carinate, veined, smooth, short, bluish-green ; sheaths 
smooth, rather loose, with a short, obtuse stipule ; panicle contracted, somewhat 
secund, branches scabrous, in 2s and 3s; spzkelets ovate-oblong, 3—6-flowered, 
subsessile.—2 Less abundant than the last, forming tufts in moist places, Free 
States. June. 
4. P. serorTina. Erhr. (P. palustris. Muhl.) Meadow Red-iop. 
St. erect, 2—3f high; Jwvs. flat, narrow-linear, smooth, 10—15’ long; stip. 
long, lacerated; panicle diffuse, somewhat secund, 6—10/ long, branches in 
half-whorls ; spikelets ovate-lanceolate, 2—3-flowered ; fis. but little webbed at 
base, yellow at the tip, obscurely 5-veined.—2| Common in wet meadows, Free 
States. June. 
5. P. puncens. Torr. (P. flexuosa. MuAl.) / 
St. compressed, 1—2f high; dws. of the stem about 2, flat, oblong, lanceo- 
late, cuspidate and pungent, lower about 1’ long, upper minute, root lvs. long 
and narrow, all erect, keeled and pungent at the point; stzp. truncate, lacerate; 
sheaths nearly as long as the nodes; panicle small, racemose at apex, branches 
in half-whorls, capillary; spikelets ovate, 3—4-flowered; jis. rather obtuse, 
webbed ; glumes smooth, upper acute; sty. doubly plumose, white-—2 Middle 
and Western States. April. 
6. P. naxa. Hoenke. A alpina. Torr.) ; 
St. ceespitose, 6—8' high ; dvs. linear, acute, smooth; stip. lanceolate ; pan. 
1—2’ long, contracted, nodding, branches mostly in pairs, smooth, flexuous; 
spikelets 24" long, ovate, 3-flowered ; fis. often purple, acute, hairy, somewhat 
webbed at base; glume lance-ovate, slightly scabrous on the keel; lower palea 
hairy below, upper rough-edged; anth. violet—2| Mountains and woods, N 
Eng.! and Mid. States. 
7. P. NEMORALIS. Wood Spear Grass. 
St. slender, 2—3f high; /vs. narrow-linear, pale green, smooth as well as 
the sheaths; stip. scarcely any; panicle 6—10’ long, slender, nodding when in 
fruit, branches capillary, flexuous, in 2s or 3s; spikelets ovate, about 3-flowered, 
the flowers spreading and at length remote, slightly webbed at base.—2, A tall, 
rank grass, in wet, open woods, N. Eng.! and Mid. States. July 
* * Flowers free, or not webbed at base. 
8. P. annua. Annual Spear Grass. a 
Sts. decumbent and rooting at the base, smooth, compressed, 3—8’ long ; 
