POA COMPRESS A. 119 



POA COMPRESSA. 



LINNJEUS. HOOKER AND ARNOTT. SMITH. PARNELL. KOCH. LEERS. 



SCHRADER. LlNDLEY. WlLLDENOW. KNAPP. HOST. OEDER. 



DEAKIN. SINCLAIR. MACREIGHT. KUNTH. BABINGTON. RALFS. RELHAN. 



DlLLWYN. SlBTHORP. DlCKSON. WITHERING. HUDSON. 



PLATE XXXVII. B. 



Poa subcompressa, PARNELL. 



" polynoda, PARNELL. 



The Flat-stemmed Meadow-Grass. 

 Poa Grass. Compressa Compressed. 



AN early Grass, growing well on poor soils and in dry stony places, 

 but not productive, and therefore useless to agriculture. 



Common in England, Scotland, and Ireland. Found in France, 

 Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Prussia, Eussia, Norway, Sweden, Iceland, 

 Greenland, and North America. 



Stem upright; base decumbent, much compressed, hence the name; 

 bearing four or five somewhat short, flat, acute leaves, with rough 

 edges and with smooth striated sheaths; upper sheath of same length 

 as its leaf, and having a short obtuse ligule at the apex. Joints five, 

 smooth. Inflorescence simple-panicled. Panicle somewhat unilateral, 

 upright, compact, except when in flower, then spreading. Branches 

 short, the basal ones distant. Spikelets ovate, compressed, and of five 

 or seven florets. Calyx of two acute, about equal-sized glumes, fre- 

 quently tinged with purple; three-ribbed, upper portion of central rib 

 dentate. Florets of two palese, exterior one of basal floret three-ribbed; 

 base furnished with a delicate web suspending the calyx. Inner palea 

 having two green marginal ribs. 



Length twelve inches; colour dark green. Root perennial and 

 creeping. 



