POA PRATEN8I8. 



POA PRATENSIS. 



LINNAEUS. HOOKER AND ARNOTT. PARNELL. 

 KOCH. SMITH. GREVILLE. RALFS, ABBOT. SIBTHORP. RELHAN. 



HULL. WITHERING. HUDSON. SCHRADER. WILLDENOW. 

 CURTIS. KNAPP. DICKSON. SINCLAIR. BABINGTON. DEAKIN. 



PLATE XXXVI. 



Poa angustifolia, LINNAEUS, (var. subccerulea, of HOOKER.) 



" subsarulea, SMITH. 



The Smooth- Stalked Meadow- Grass. 

 Poa Grass. Pratemis Of a meadow. 



THE present common species, known from all other Grasses in 

 having the lower florets webbed, is an early Grass, yielding a 

 large crop, and liked by cattle. It is not, however, recommended to 

 agriculturists on account of its creeping roots, which are calculated 

 to impoverish the soil. 



Native of England, Scotland, Ireland, France, Italy, Spain, Switzer- 

 land, Portugal, Prussia, Germany, Lapland, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, 

 Iceland, United States, and Northern Asia. 



Grows from the sea-level to three thousand feet altitude. 



Stem upright, circular, polished; bearing three or four linear, flat, 

 acute leaves, (edges rough,) with smooth striated sheaths. Upper 

 sheath considerably longer than its leaf, having at its apex a blunt 

 membranous ligule. Joints smooth. Inflorescence panicled, upright, 

 and spreading, lower branches usually in threes or fives. Spikelets 

 ovate, from three to five florets. Calyx of two almost equal-sized acute 

 glumes; three-ribbed, the upper portion of the dorsal rib dentate. 

 Florets of two awnless paleae, the exterior palea of basal floret five- 

 ribbed. Dorsal and marginal ribs hirsute on lower half, the base of 

 the floret having a copious web suspending the calyx. Outer palea 



