BOUGH STALKED POA. 47 



flat, somewhat glaucous, bluntish condensed; florets 

 from three to nine, according to the age and strength 

 of the plant ; closely imbricated, oval angular, these 

 three nerved purple below the tips which is silvery 

 and scariose at the base, connected by very fine com- 

 plicated short villous hairs. Flowers in July and 

 ripens seeds in August. 



In England this grass flowers during the greater 

 part of the summer, and is considered one of the 

 most valuable of the tribe, for its dark green leaves 

 grow so firmly together as to form a short turf of the 

 richest pasture which is supposed to contribute much 

 to the delicate flavor of the flesh of sheep and deer, 

 to which animals it is peculiarly grateful. Its bluish 

 green stems retain their color after the seed is ripe. 

 It shrinks very little in drying, thus making a hay 

 very heavy in proportion to its bulk. It will be- 

 seen in the latter part of the preceeding chapter on 

 Poa Pratensis, that this grass is extensively cultiva- 

 ted in the states of Pennsylvania and Deleware, 

 to which states it is principally confined, as I cannot 

 learn of its cultivation to any extent in the Northern 

 or Eastern states. 



CHAPTER X. 



ROUGH STALKED POA, OK ROUGH STALKED MEADOW 



GRASS. 



Poa Trimalis Specific Character. 



Webbed florets; outer palea five ribbed; marginal 

 ribs not hairy; ligule long and pointed; stems two to 

 three feet high ; distinguished from June grass by 



