191S] 



The Grasses of Illinois 



391 



ILLINOIS SPECIMENS: Without locality, M. S. Bebb in 1860; without locality, 

 Vasey. champaign co. Urbana, Clinton, Juue, 1897; Urbana, Seymour in 1880; 

 Seymour, Tsou, Oct., 1913; Champaign, Waite, June, 1886; Seymour, Chien in 

 1914. CHRISTIAN CO. Taylorville, Andrews, June, 1899. cook co. Tracy, B. 

 Bebb, July, 1912; Hyde Park, Chicago, A. Chase, Aug., 1903; Evanston, Shipman, 

 Sept., 1875. DU PAGE CO. Hinsdale, Smith, Sept., 1902. JO daviess co. With- 

 out locality, Pepoon. Henderson co. Oquawka, Patterson, June, 1872. lake 

 CO. Beach, Gates, July, 1908; near Waukegan, Cfntes 2860. mchenry co. Algon- 

 quin, Nason, June, 1878. maeion CO. Without locality, M. S. Bebb in i860; 

 Salem, M. S. Bebb in 1860. menard co. Athens, E. Hall, July, 1864. peoeia 

 CO. Peoria, Brendel in 1859. piatt CO. White Heath, Kosher, May, 1914. sa- 

 line CO. Harrisburg, Gibbs, Oct., 190S. staek CO. Wady Petra, V. H. Chase 

 1462. vermilion co. Muncie, Mosher, June, 1914. wabash co. Without local- 

 ity, SchnecJc, June, 1904; without locality, Shearer; Connor, Schneclc, Sept., 1899; 

 Old Palmyra, Schneclc, June, 1900. will co. Joliet, Skeels, June, 1904. 



Poa debilis Torr. 

 Weak Spear Grass (Fig. 234) 



Culms weak aud slender; sheaths smooth, much shorter than the 

 hiternodes ; blades 1 to 5 inches long, about 2 mm. wide, smooth ; pan- 

 icle few-flowered, the branches slender, drooping; spikelets 2- to 4- 

 flowered, 3 to 4 mm. long; lemmas smooth, webbed at the base. 



A rare species in Illinois, found only in damp Avoods. 



ILLINOIS SPECIMENS: Without locality. Hill, cook co. Glencoe, Hill, Juue, 

 1913. JO DAVIESS CO. Without locality, Pepoon .05. 



234 



236 



Figs. 234-238.— Spikelets: 234, P. debilis; 235, P. palustris; 236, P. 

 ■lylvestris; 237, P. pratensis; 238, P. wolfii 



Poa palustris L. 

 Fowl Meadow Grass. False Redtop (Fig. 235) 



Poa serotina, Lapham '57, 578; Vasey '61, 671; Babcock '73, 97; Patterson 

 '76, 51; Flagg '78, 281; Brendel '87, 64; Higley and Kaddin '91, 144. Poa 

 iriflora, Sherff '12, 419; Sherff '13, 595. Poa flava, Britton '07, 139. 



Culms 1 to 5 feet tall ; sheaths rather loose, smooth ; ligule 3 to 

 5 mm. long ; blades 3 to 6 inches long, 2 to 4 mm. wdde ; panicles oblong, 

 often purplish, rather loosely flowered and delicate ; spikelets 2- to 4- 

 flowered, 3 to 4 mm. long ; lemmas 2.5 to 3 mm. long, copiously webbed 

 at base ; the intermediate nerves obscure, the others long, silky pubes- 

 cent for about half their length. 



This grass is a native to the state, usually found in damp meadows 

 or swamps. It is a \cvy good forage grass, resembling somewhat 



