TUIAXDIIIA BIGYN1A 75 



Meadow Poa. Vutgd — Spear grass* Green grass. Meadow grass. 



OalUci — Paturin des Pres. Germanici — Viohgras. 



Root perennial, creeping. Culm erect, 1 to 2 and 3 feet high, terete, striate, 

 smooth. Radical leaves often very long and numerous, (sometimes near 2 feet 

 1 »ng,) deep green, linear, abruptly acute, sliirhtly scabrous on the margin ; those 

 on the culm shorter than the sheaths •* sheaths nerved, smooth ; ligule short, obtuse 

 Crenate. Panicle rather crowded, at length expanding and pyramidal, jointed at 

 the branches ; branches 3 to 5 at each joint, semivcrticillate, flexuose, somewhat, 

 scabrous. Spikclets pedicellate, a little crowded on the branches, 3 to 5 flowered. 

 Florets acute, with numerous cobweb-like hairs at base. Glumes unequal, keeled, 

 compressed, sharply acuminate Loiter palca lance-ovate, somewhat compressed* 

 "j-nerved, acute, slightly scabrous : upper palca lancc-linear, acuminate, scabrous 

 on the two keels. 



Hub. Fields, meadows and woodlands : very common. Fl* May— June. Fr. July. 



Obs. This species varies considerably, in size and appearance, when growing 

 In different s>ils and situations. In our best soils, the radical leaves arc very Ion? 

 and luxuriant, — when it is known by the name of Green grass. This has by some 

 Botanists been made a distinct species* under the name of P. viridis: Bui it is pro- 

 bably nothing more than a variety. It is, indeed, as Muhlenberg terms it, u qpii~ 

 mum pabulum ;*' being decidedly the most valuable of all the grasses known in OU1 

 pastures. It has not been found necossary to cultivate it, by sowing the seed ; for 

 when the land is duly prepared by lime and manure, it soon takes possession of 

 the soil,— or comes in, as the fanners term it ;— and supersedes the artificial grass 

 es. In very poor land, it deteriorates so much that it would scarcely be recocni- 

 Bed as the same plant. It is generally believed by the Botanists to be a naturalized 

 foreigner. 



3. P. TRrviALis. /,. Culm and sheaths somewhat scabrous; ligule 



elongated, acuminate ; panicle diffuse, scabrous; spikclets oblong-ovatc 



2 to 3-flowerod, Beck, Jlot. p. 410. 



P, stoloniiera. .1//////. Catal. p. 11. Ejusd. Oram. p. 188. 



P. nemoralis. FloruL Cestr.p. 12. Not of Linn. 



Trivial Poa. 



Root perennial. Culm 2 to 3 feet high, often geniculate and stoloniferous & 

 base, s unowhat scabrous retrorsely. Leaves pale green, lance-linear, (those of 

 ihe root, or suckers, long and narrow) acute, scabrous on the margin: sheath* 

 striate, sliirhtly scabrous when rubbed upwards ; ligule much elongated, the upper 

 ones acuminate. Panicle loose, expanding : branches scmiverticillate in aBout 

 fives, sharply scabrous. SpikelcU usually 2, sometimes 3-flowered. Glumes mi 

 equal, scabrous on the keel; lower one rather shorter, linear-lanceolate, verj 

 acute; upper one lanceolate, 3- nerved, with a broadish scarious margin. Palea 

 unequal, nearly smooth ; lower one longer, 5-nerved, scarious at apex. 



Hub. Moist low grounds, and woodlands : frequent. /V.June. Fr. July. 



Obs. This species is also believed to be a foreigner ; and is somewhat Variable 

 in appearance. It has much resemblance to the preceding) when growing in open 

 -rounds; but is far inferior in value,— and may be readily distinguished, by the 

 elongated ligule, and retrorsely roughish culms. In the woods, it is often a weak 

 stemmed, straggling plant. It is enumerated in my Catalogue, under the errone 

 ous name of P. nemoralis :— a mistake into which I was led by the hasty opinion o; 

 a distinguished Botanist. 



