POA ALPINA. 125 



POA ALPINA. 



LINNAEUS. HOOKER AND ARNOTT. SMITH. PARNELL. KOCH. LINDLEY. 



KNAPP. WlLLDENOW. LlGHTFOOT. 



SCHRADER. HOST. WAHLENBERG. DEAKIN. SINCLAIR. MACREIGHT. 

 KUNTH. BABINGTON. RALFS. 



PLATE XXXIX. B. 



Poa ccesia, SMITH. 



" glomerata, DON. 



The Alpine Meadow-Grass. 

 Poa Grass. Alpina Alpine. 



AN early useless Grass, generally growing at from three to four 

 thousand feet elevation. 



In England, found in Yorkshire; Wales, Caernarvon; Scotland, 

 Perth, Forfar, Aberdeen, and Inverness. 



Native of France, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, Russia, Norway, 

 Sweden, Lapland, Iceland, Greenland, and North America. 



Stem upright, circular, smooth, bearing two or three short flat leaves, 

 with smooth striated sheaths; upper sheath much longer than its leaf, 

 and having a lengthy membranous ligule at the apex. Upper leaf 

 folded, compressed, and rounded behind the apex. Joints two, smooth. 

 Inflorescence panicled. Panicle compact and erect. Branches rough; 

 basal ones in pairs. Spikelets broadly-ovate, commonly viviparous. 

 Usually four awnless florets; summit of basal floret extending beyond 

 the calyx. Calyx of two broad equal glumes, three-ribbed. Keels 

 minutely dentate. Florets not webbed, of two palese; basal exterior 

 one three-ribbed. Inner palea membranous, and rather shorter. Length 

 from four to twelve inches. Root perennial, fibrous, and tufted. 



Poa alpina may be distinguished from P. laxa, in having the panicle 

 upright, the root tufted, and the upper leaf folded. 



