119 



POA COMPRESSA. 



LlNNiEUS. HoOKEB AND ABNOTT. SlIITH. PaENELL. KoCH. LeEBS. 

 SCHBADEE. LlNDLEY. WlLLDENOW. KnAPP. HOST. OeDEB. 



Deakin. Sinclair. Maceeight. Kunth. Babinqton. Ealfs. Reliia.v. 



DlLLWYN. SlBTHOEP. DlCKSON. WlTHEEING. HUDSON. 



PLATE XXXVII. — B. 



Poa subcompressa, Paenell. 



" -polynoda, Paenell. 



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, Russia, 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 sirnple-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, frequently tinged with 

 purple; three-ribbed, upper portion of central rib dentate. 

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



