Kentucky Blue-grass -introduced (*Poa pratensis)

Native to Europe and Asia. Perennial. C3.

Family. Poaceae (Grass family).

Occurrence: Commonly planted as a lawn grass. It sometimes escapes, and may be found in disturbed areas.

Identification:

• the flower cluster loosens with age
• the glumes are about as long as the lemmas
• the spikelets have 2-5 unawned lemmas which are hairy on the veins and margins
• the lemmas are densely hairy at the base and the web (the cobwebby hairs towards the base of the lemmas) is also present
• the leaves are flat or sometimes folded
• the ligule is membranous and 1-3mm long.

It differs from native poas in the broader, green leaves; and from Annual Meadow-grass by its greater size, and from Bulbous Meadow-grass by the less erect flowering stalks and less ovoid flower clusters. It is a variable species. Some forms have bluish leaves.

Poa: Grass (Greek); pratensis: growing in meadows.

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