Summary : 



a. Sheath broad, and very flat, with two acute 



edges. 



b. Blade large, ribless, and acute-pointed ; keel 



very prominent. 



c. Ligule long, and conspicuous. 



NOTE. Two grasses are often confounded with 

 cocksfoot, viz., smooth-stalked meadow, and reed 

 canary grass. They are distinguished thus : 



ROUGH-STALKED MEADOW GRASS. 



v. 5, 6. The sheath is flat and acute edged, but the 

 breadth is much less than in cocksfoot. 



Compared with cocksfoot, the blades are small. 

 The base of the blade is broadest ; convergence of the 

 margins begins at the very base, and is continued 

 uniformly, till the acute apex is formed, 

 v. 7 . The upper surface is ribless, but, when carefully 

 examined, a pair of parallel median lines is seen. 

 Ribless blades with median lines are characteristic of 

 the whole meadow grass genus (Poa). 



The lower surface is keeled, and always shining, as 

 in ryegrasses. 



