Page authors: David Giblin, Don Knoke
Poa pratensis
Kentucky bluegrass
Specimens
Photos

Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to California, east across North America to the Atlantic Coast: circumboreal.

Habitat: Moist, distrurbed areas from the coast to middle elevations.

Flowers: April-October

Origin: Both native and introduced

Growth Duration: Perennial

Conservation Status: Not of concern

Pollination: Wind

Description:
General:

Strongly rhizomatous perennial, the culms hollow, glabrous, 4-10 dm. tall.

Leaves:

Sheaths closed about half their length; ligules 1-1.5 mm. long, truncate, usually entire; blades flat, numerous, 2-4 mm. broad, the tips strongly prow-shaped.

Flowers:

Inflorescence a moderately loose panicle 3-10 cm. long, the branches slightly ascending, the lower ones 3-5 per node; spikelets 3- to 5-flowered; glumes 2.5 and 3 mm. long, strongly keeled; lemmas about 3.5 mm. long, strongly keeled, cobwebby at the base; palea subequal to the lemma, 2-keeled.

Accepted Name:
Poa pratensis L.
Publication: Sp. Pl. 1: 67. 1753.

Synonyms & Misapplications:
(none provided)
Infraspecies:
Additional Resources:

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

WA Flora Checklist: Poa pratensis checklist entry

OregonFlora: Poa pratensis information

E-Flora BC: Poa pratensis atlas page

CalPhotos: Poa pratensis photos

26 photographs:
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