Flora of the Hawaiian Islands
Monocotyledon Literature for Poa pratensis
Wagner et al., 1990, 1999.
   Poaceae -- The Grass Family Bibliography
      Poa pratensis

Common name(s): bluegrass, Kentucky bluegrass
General Information
DistributionNative to Europe, widely naturalized in temperate and montane tropical regions.In the Hawaiian Islands, naturalized on O`ahu, Maui, Hawai`i.
















Habit
Perennials with extensive rhizomes forming a dense sod; culms slightly compressed, erect, (2-)3-6.5(-10) dm tall.
Leaves
Sheaths smooth, but occasionally somewhat scabrous, closed to ca. 1/2 their length; ligule 0.5-1.7(-3) mm long, margins usually entire, apex truncate; blades numerous, soft, usually green but occasionally glaucescent, flat or usually folded, 1-3(-4.5) mm wide, margins usually scabrous, sometimes slightly pubescent and purple-tinged near collar, apex strongly boat-shaped.
Flowers
Panicles open, often pyramidal, (2-)4-11(-16) cm long, branches spreading or ascending, usually in whorls of (2-)4-5(-9) per node; spikelets green or purple-tinged, 2-4-flowered, crowded, ovate, (3-)4-5(-6) mm long, strongly compressed; glumes scabrous on keel, first glume 1.8-2.5(-3) mm long, 1-nerved, second glume 2.2-3.3 mm long, 3-nerved; lemmas 2.5-4 mm long, 3-5-nerved, lateral nerves weak, base with copious cobwebby hairs, keel and marginal nerves sericeous, glabrous between the nerves, apex obtuse or acute; palea nearly as long as lemma.
Fruit
Caryopsis reddish brown, ellipsoid, ca. 1.5 mm long.
Chromosomes
2n = 33-124