Common name: Kentucky Bluegrass
Poa pratensis L. APNI*
Description: Variable perennial to 0.9 m high, with slender creeping rhizomes forming loose to compact tufts or turf.
Leaves with sheath smooth, compressed, glabrous to puberulous; ligule membranous, 1–3 mm long, obtuse or truncate; blade flat or folded, 1–6 mm wide, smooth to slightly scabrous.
Panicle erect or somewhat drooping, contracted and dense to open and loose, 2.5–19 cm long. Spikelets 2.5–6 mm long, 2–5-flowered. Lower glume 1.5–3.5 mm long, 1–3-nerved; upper 2–4 mm long, 3–5-nerved. Lemmas 2–4 mm long, 5-nerved, thinly to densely hairy on the keel and marginal nerves below the middle; web copious, of long, fine, crinkled hairs. Palea scabrous on the keels.
Flowering: spring.
Distribution and occurrence: Widespread, but thriving in cooler and moister districts; commonly planted in lawns and pastures. Native of Eur. & Asia.
NSW subdivisions: *NC, *CC, *SC, *NT, *CT, *ST, *NWS, *CWS, *SWS, *SWP, *LHI
Other Australian states: *Qld *Vic. *Tas. *W.A. *S.A.
Text by S. W. L. Jacobs & S. M. Hastings Taxon concept: Flora of NSW 4 (1993)
APNI* Provides a link to the Australian Plant Name Index (hosted by the Australian National Botanic Gardens) for comprehensive bibliographic data ***The AVH map option provides a detailed interactive Australia wide distribution map drawn from collections held by all major Australian herbaria participating in the Australian Virtual Herbarium project.
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