Poa annua. Common dwarf Poa. 
POA Linnai. Gen. Plant. Triandria Digynia. 
Rail Sy nop. Gen. 27. Herba: graminifolia: flore imperfecto culmifera:. 
POA annua, panicula diffufa, angulis reftis, fpiculis obtufis, culmo obliquo compreflo. Lin. Syjl. Vegetal, 
p. 97. Spec. Plant, ed. 3. p. 99. FI. Suecic. p. 228. 
POA culmo infracto, panicula triangulari, locuftis trifloris glabris. Haller, hijl. Vol. 2. p. 223. 
GRAMEN pratenfe paniculatum minus. Bauhin.Pm.p-. 2 
GRAMEN pratenfe minimum album et rubrum. Gerard, emac. 3. Parkinfon. 1156. 
GRAMEN pratenfe minus feu vulgatiffimum. Rail Synop. 408. Hudfon. FI. Angi. p. 34. Scopoli. FU 
Carniol. 71. Stilling fleet, tab. 7 
RADIX annua, fibrofiflima. _ J ROOT annual and very fibrous. 
CULMI plures, cefpitofi, femiprocumbentes, in pratis * STALKS numerous, forming a turf, femiprocumbent, 
vero inter alias plantas crefcentes, fuberefti, I but in meadows when growing among other 
' paululum infra&i, femipedales. f plants, nearly upright, a little crooked, and 
± about half a foot high. 
VAGINAE compreflas, ancipites, laeves. t SHEATHS flat, two edged, and fmooth. 
FOLIA plurima, brevia, carinata, glabra, faepe tranf- | LEAVES very numerous, fhort, keel-fhaped, fmooth, 
verfim rugofa, margine minutiflime aculeata. | frequently wrinkled tranfverfely, the edge very 
fig. 8. I finely ferrated. fig. 8. 
PANICULA triangularis, fubcomprefla, flores fubfe- | PANICLE of a triangular fhape and flattifh, the flowers 
cundi. J growing moflly to one fide. 
PEDUNCULI univerfales ad bafin paniculae plerumque £ PEDUNCLES : the univerfal peduncles generally pro- 
bini, altero breviore, in medio frequenter terni, | ceed from the bottom of the panicle in pairs, 
apice vero fiolitarii ; anguli nunc redti, nunc | one of which is fhorter than the other, from 
obliqui. | , the middle often by threes, and at top flngly ; form- 
| ing angles fometimes ft raight, fometimes oblique. 
SPICULiE ovato-acutie, compreflie, utrinque acutae | SPICULiE oval and pointed, flatilh and fharp on both 
triflorae, quadriflorae. fig. 2. _ t fides, containing three and four flowers, fig. 2. 
CALYX: Gluma bivalvis, valvulis concavis, inaequa- | CALYX: a Glume of two valves, the valves hollow 
libus. fig. 1. _ * and unequal, fig. 1 . 
COROLLA bivalvis, valvulis villofis, margine mem- | COROLLA of two valves, the valves villous, membra- 
branaceis, albidis, una majore, concava, obtufi- | nous and whitifh at the edges, the one larger, 
ufcula; altera minore, anguftiore. fig. 3. | hollow and bluntifh, the other fmaller and 
I narrower, fig. 3. 
STAMINA : Filamenta tria capillaria ; Anthera: * STAMINA : the Filaments very minute, the Anthe- 
flavefcentes, bifurcatas. fig. 4. | RA: yellowifh and forked, fig. 4. 
PISTILLUM . Germen ovatum, Styli duo ramofifli- | PISTILLUM ; the Germen oval, two Styles exceed- 
mi, pellucidi, fig. 5. | ingly ramified and pellucid, fig. 5. 
SEMEN ovatum, corolla adnafcente te&urn, ad bafin | SEED oval, covered by the Corolla which adheres to it, 
villofulum. fig. 7. I at bottom {lightly villous, fig. 7. 
THE laudable Society eftablifhed in London for the encouragement of Manufactures, Arts, and Commerce, 
fenfible of the improvements which might be made in Agriculture, from a more general introduction of the moft ufeful 
Englifh Grajfes, have offered Premiums to fuch as fhall give the befi: account of their cultivation, and the Poa Annua 
above defcribed, is one of thofe they have feleCted, from its appearing to them to be one of the moft: ufeful. 
Mr. Stillingfleet obferves that it makes the fineft turf, that he has feen in high Suffolk whole fields of it, without 
any mixture of other Grafies, and that as fome of the befl: lalt Butter we have in London comes from that County, 
he apprehends it to be the befi: Grafs for the Dairy ; from obferving likewife, that this Grafs flourifhed much more 
from being trodden on, he concludes that frequent rolling muff be very ferviceable to it: 
There is no Grafs better entitled to Ray’s epithet of Vulgatijfimum than this, as it occurs almofi: every where, in 
Meadows, Gardens, at the fides of Paths, and on Walls: when it grows in a very dry fituation, it frequently doth 
not exceed three inches, but in rich meadows it often grows more than a foot in height. The panicle is frequently 
green, but in open fields it acquires a reddifh tinge ; it flowers all the Summer long, and even in Winter if the weather 
be mild. . ..... 
It appears to be the firft: general covering which Naturehas provided for a fruitfulfoil when ithas beendifturbed ; for 
which reafon, in Walks, Pavements, or Pitching, it may be confidered as one of the moft troublefome of Weeds ; 
the moft expeditious method of deftroying it, would probably be by pouring boiling water on it. 
All the Authors that have defcribed this Grafs call it an annual, it differs however very confiderably from the other 
annual Grafies, they throw up their Spikes or Panicles, produce their flowers and feeds, and then die away ; this on the 
contrary keeps continually throwing out new fhoots, and producing new flowers, and feeds, and if the ground be moift, 
a fingle plant will remain growing in this manner throughout the year, fo that we generally find on the fame plant, 
young fhoots and ripe feeds. 
“ Hie ver afiiduum atque alienis menfibus eejlas.” 
Perhaps this is the only vegetable we have that in this Circumftance imitates the Tropical plants. 
Although its feed may be gathered the whole fummer long, yet about the latter end of May, it will be found 
in the greatefi: plenty : Experience rauft determine the befi method, in which this Grafs fhould be cultivated, 
whether by fowing its feed, or dividing and tranfplanting the Grafs itlelf ; as this feed would with more difficulty 
be procured in large quantities than that of many others, and as a fingle tuft of this Grafs may be divided into a vafi: 
number of young plants, probably tranfplanting it in w r et weather would be the moft: eligible mode of cultivation. 
Thefe obfervations are fubmitted to the confideration of the Farmer and Gentlemen of landed property, who refide 
in the Country, and who have both leifure and opportunity to try experiments of this kind. Although the Authors 
province more particularly is to deferibe and figure thefe plants in fuch a manner as to make them as obvious as poffible, 
yet he would be exceedingly happy to communicate to the public, any improvements which may be made in this or 
any other branch of Agriculture, that he may be favoured with. 
