Order GRAMINEAE. 
Genus Poa. 
S u b-O rder Fe st ucace a: . 
Genus XXII.—POA, Linnaeus. 
Spikelets few or numerous, compressed, t — io flowered in a usually open panicle, with the lower 
branches whorled. Empty glumes equal or unequal, acute or acuminate, awnless. Flowering glumes 
obtuse, acute or acuminate, awnless, glabrous, scabrid or silky, naked or webbed at the base, usually 
5-nerved, rarely 3 or 7-nerved, often surrounded at base, more or less, with long silky hairs, distant on 
a glabrous or villous rachis, which articulates between the flowering glumes. Palea 2-nerved. Scales 
2, entire. Stamens 2 or 3. Grain glabrous, free. Distribution of Genus: IN ALL THE 
TEMPERATE AND COLD REGIONS OF BOTH HEMISPHERES. Etymology: From 
the Greek word to feed, applied to pasture. 
Arrangement of the Species : 
FLORETS WITH LONG FLOCCULENT SILKY HAIRS AT BASE. 
Flowering glumes acute, with incurved tips. Anthers long. 
Panicle open; culms naked below, rigid, branched; leaves flaccid ... 1. P. ramosissima. 
Panicle open; culms leafy from the base ; leaves coriaceous, flat ... 2. P.foliosa. 
Flowering glumes obtuse, straight. Anthers long. 
Culms stout; leaves fiat or concave ; ligule truncate ; spikelets large ... 3. P. anceps. 
Culms slender; leaves filiform ; ligule o ; spikelets small ... ... 4. P. australis. 
FLORETS WITHOUT LONG FLOCCULENT SILKY HAIRS AT BASE. 
Flowering glumes acute or acuminate. Anthers long. 
Culms slender; leaves filiform; spikelets large; ligule membranous, 
sheathing ... ... ... ... ... ... 5. P. intermedia. 
Culms slender; leaves short, filiform; spikelets small; ligule membranous, 
sheathing ... ... ... ... ... ... 6. P. Colensoi. 
Culms slender; leaves very short, rigid, acicular; ligule membranous, 
sheathing ... ... ... ... ... ... 7. P. acicular folia. 
Culms slender; leaves shorter than the culm, flat; ligule truncate ... 8. P. uniflnra. 
Culms \ inch long; leaves very short, rigid, obtuse; ligule acuminate 9. P. pijgmcea. 
Flowering glumes obtuse. Anthers short. 
Culms slender, 1—2 inches long ; leaves flaccid ; short ... ... 10. 
Culms short, stout; leaves rigid, shorter than the culm ... ... 11. 
Culms long, stout; leaves flat, shorter than the culm ... ... 12. 
Culms slender; leaves flat, shorter than the culm; spikelets tipped with 
purple ... ... ... ... ... ... 13. 
Culms slender; leaves very short, flaccid; flowering glume with a white 
membranous border ... ... ... ... ... 14. 
Culms slender ; leaves shorter than the culms ; panicle green ... 15. 
Culms very slender; leaves much shorter than the culm; whole plant 
flaccid, green ... ... ... ... ... ... 16. 
P. exigua. 
P. albida. 
P. Mackayi. 
P. Kirkii. 
P. Lindsayi. 
P. breviglumis. 
P. imbecil/e. 
