Poa subcaerulea
| Poa subcaerulea | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Monocots |
| Clade: | Commelinids |
| Order: | Poales |
| Family: | Poaceae |
| Subfamily: | Pooideae |
| Genus: | Poa |
| Species: | P. subcaerulea
|
| Binomial name | |
| Poa subcaerulea | |
Poa subcaeruleais a perennial grass occurring in North America and Europe. Its specific epithet "subcaerulea"means" bluish ". Its diploid number varies between 54 and 109.
Description
[edit]Poa subcaeruleagrows fromstolons,with itsculmsarising from older, dried leaves among the curved stolons. Newer, basal tufts of culms occur on separate prolonged stolons. The culms are compressed at their base and grow 5–60 cm (2.0–23.6 in) tall. The leaves are flat or folded, with basal leaves 2–4 mm (0.079–0.157 in) wide. The ellipsoid or pyramidalpanicleis 3–7 cm (1.2–2.8 in) high, with lowerfasciclesof two to five branches. Itsspikeletshave short pedicels and are borne on the lower half of the branches, growing 4.5–6.5 mm (0.18–0.26 in) long. Its ovateglumesare straight, with the second glume nearly reaching thelemmaabove it. The lemmas have glabrous or papillate nerves.[1]Roots are produced from the end of February to early May, leaves are produced onwards after March, and the grass flowers from July to August.[2]
Poa subcaeruleacan be distinguished from other species ofPoaby its more bluish culms. It especially differs fromPoa angustifoliaby its production of single tillers on spreadingrhizomes,and from variants ofPoa pratensisby its short panicle, low number of spikelets, and a tendency towards two floral branches at the inflorescence's lowest node.[2]
Distribution and habitat
[edit]Poa subcaeruleaoccurs near damp rocks, in sands, and in woodlands. In North America, the grass occurs fromLabradordown toMinnesotaand eastward toNew BrunswickandNova Scotia.[1][3]In Britain, the grass occurs in the hills of Scotland and Wales and in sand dunes along the British coast, occurring predominately in northerly moist areas.[2]The plant can also be found inFennoscandia,Denmark,andIceland.The plant is most common between 50°N and theArctic Circle.[4]
References
[edit]- ^abMerrit Lyndon Fernald (1970). R. C. Rollins (ed.).Gray's Manual of Botany(Eighth (Centennial) - Illustrated ed.). D. Van Nostrand Company. p. 117.ISBN0-442-22250-5.
- ^abcBarling, D.M. (1962). "Studies in the biology of Poa subcaerulea Sm".Watsonia.5(3): 163–172.
- ^Hodgdon, A.R.; Pike, R.B. (1969). "Continued Botanizing on the Wolf Islands, New Brunswick".Rhodora.71(786). JSTOR: 297–298.
- ^Hylander, N. (1953).Nordisk kärlväxtflora.Vol. 1. Uppsala.
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