68 



Group XII. Ribless-bladed Grasses with 

 Median Lines. 



SOFT OR SUCCULENT BLADED MEADOW GRASSES, 

 NEVER HAIRY Poa. 



Thick-bladed Poas. The sheaths flat, with rounded 

 edges ; blades parallel-edged and round-pointed : 

 hard rather than succulent. 



Poa pratensis, L. Poa compressa, L. 



(Smooth-stalked meadow! (Flat-stemmed meadow 

 grass.) grass.) 



Sheath 



Ligule 



Nodes 



Growth 



Figures 



Elliptical in section 



Very short and thick . . . 



Light coloured 



Creepingimderground . . . 



Flatter. 



Longer and thin. 



Dark coloured. 



Before flowering the 

 shoots bend down, 

 run along the ground, 

 and strike root. 



1 . Rounded apex of blade. 



2. Rounded base of blade! 



and parallel edges. ! 



3. The short ligulespreadj 



out (magnified). 



4. Transverse section of 



the relatively thick 

 blade (magnified). 

 After Lund. 



5. Portion of blade as it 



appears by trans- j 

 mitted light (mag- \ 

 nified). | 



Poa maritima, Huds. (See Group VIII.) occurs here. 

 Blade bristle-like, or concave ; succulent. The absence 

 of a keel on the blade distinguishes this from all other 

 Poas. 



Poa alpina, L. Blade flat, almost succulent ; base of 

 tuft almost bulbous. See Group III. 



