Page authors: Don Knoke, David Giblin
Poa laxiflora
loose-flower bluegrass
Specimens
Photos

Distribution: Occurring west of the Cascades crest in Washington; Southern Alaska to northwestern Oregon.

Habitat: Moist woods to rocky, open slopes, from near sea level to lower elevations in the mountains.

Flowers: June-July

Origin: Native

Growth Duration: Perennial

Conservation Status: Sensitive in Washington (WANHP)

Pollination: Wind

Description:
General:

Rhizomatous perennial, the culms 9-12 dm. tall, hollow, not clustered, erect.

Leaves:

Sheaths closed to about mid-length, strongly scabrous, keeled below the collar; ligules thin, from 1 mm. long on basal leaves to 3 mm. long on upper leaves, obtuse to rounded, puberulent; blades flat, 3-5 mm. broad, strongly scabrous on both surfaces, the tips abruptly prow-like.

Flowers:

Inflorescence a loose, open panicle 12-20 cm. long, the 2 or 3 branches at each of the distant nodes spreading to reflexed; spikelets loosely 3- to 4-flowered, the florets perfect; glumes 3-nerved, keeled, narrow, the first 3 mm. long, the second 3.5 mm. long; lemmas about 4 mm. long, 5-nerved., strongly webbed at the base and silky-pubescent on the keel and marginal nerves; palea subequal to the lemma, 2-keeled.

Accepted Name:
Poa laxiflora Buckley
Publication: Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia 14: 96. 1862.

Synonyms & Misapplications:
(none provided)
Additional Resources:

PNW Herbaria: Specimen records of Poa laxiflora in the Consortium of Pacific Northwest Herbaria database

WA Flora Checklist: Poa laxiflora checklist entry

OregonFlora: Poa laxiflora information

E-Flora BC: Poa laxiflora atlas page

CalPhotos: Poa laxiflora photos

2 photographs:
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