Aquatic and Wetland Vascular Plants of the Northern Great Plains
63. Poaceae, the Grass Family
23. Poa L. -- Bluegrass5. Poa trivialis L. -- Rough bluegrass
Very similar to P. palustris, differing mainly as follows: Leaves and sheaths usually more scabrous. Spikelets 2- to 3-flowered, 3-4 mm long; glumes unequal, narrow and curved, acute to acuminate, the first glume 1.5-2.3 mm long, 1-nerved; second glume 2-3 mm long, 3-nerved; lemmas usually green with whitish tip and margins, sometimes marked with purple and slightly bronzed at the tip, pubescent on the keel only, not on the marginal nerves, the intermediate nerves prominent so that the lemma is plainly 5-nerved. Jun--Jul. In wet soil or shallow water around springs or along spring-fed streams, also to be expected in moist, shaded places; uncommon but locally abundant at scattered locations in the n Black Hills and n NE; (Intro. from Europe and now naturalized over much of e and w N. Amer., probably on the increase in our region).
Previous Section -- Poa pratensis L. -- Kentucky bluegrass
Return to Family -- Poaceae - The Grass Family
Next Section -- Puccinellia cusickii Weatherby -- Cusick's alkaligrass
