BLUE-GRASSES 



155 



ward to British Columbia, in Labrador, and probably on 

 the coast of New England. The Alaska and Labrador forms 

 are apparently distinct from any Old World varieties, but 

 have not received dis- 

 tinctive names. A dwarf 

 form on the New Eng- 

 land seacoast is appar- 

 ently identical with var. 

 costata Hartm. found on 

 European seacoasts. 



European botanists 

 have described many 

 varieties, as the species 

 group is highly variable. 

 Even the cultivated 

 forms occurring in 

 America, which consist 

 wholly or mainly of the 

 typical form and of the 

 narrow-leaved variety 

 angustifolia, give by se- 

 lection a long series of 

 distinguishable strains. 

 There are possibilities 

 in some of these forms 

 of Kentucky blue-grass 

 that may in the future 



warrant their selection 



FIG. 12. Kentucky blue-grass (Poa 

 pratensis). a, spikelet; b, lemma show- 



and Culture for special ing attached tuft of hairs. 



purposes. 



In the Old World, Poa pratensis is native over practi- 

 cally all of Europe, the northern half of Asia and in the 

 mountains of Algeria and Morocco. 



