Poaceae
Poa

Poa trivialis L.

First published in Sp. Pl.: 67 (1753)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Macaronesia, N. Africa, Temp. Eurasia. It is a perennial or rhizomatous geophyte and grows primarily in the temperate biome. It is has environmental uses and as animal food and a medicine.

Descriptions

Morphology General Habit
Perennial; caespitose. Stolons present. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending, or decumbent; 20-100 cm long; 3-5 -noded. Culm-internodes terete; smooth. Lateral branches lacking. Leaves mostly basal. Leaf-sheaths keeled; antrorsely scabrous. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 4-10 mm long; acute. Leaf-blades 3-20 cm long; 1.5-6 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface smooth, or scaberulous; glabrous. Leaf-blade apex abruptly acute; hardened.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle. Panicle open, or contracted; oblong, or ovate; dense, or loose, or effuse; equilateral, or nodding; 3-20 cm long; 1-15 cm wide. Primary panicle branches spreading; 3-7 -nate. Panicle branches flexuous; scaberulous. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 0.3-2 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 2-4 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets elliptic, or oblong, or ovate; laterally compressed; 3-4 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes obscured by lemmas; smooth. Floret callus woolly.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 2-4 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets elliptic, or oblong, or ovate; laterally compressed; 3-4 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes obscured by lemmas; smooth. Floret callus woolly.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 2-3 mm long; 0.8 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scaberulous. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 2.5-3.5 mm long; 1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Upper glume primary vein scabrous. Upper glume apex acute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Fertile lemma ovate; oblong in profile; 2.5-3.5 mm long; membranous; much thinner above; much thinner on margins; keeled; 5 -veined. Lemma midvein ciliolate; hairy below. Lemma lateral veins distinct; stopping well short of apex. Lemma apex acute. Palea 1 length of lemma. Palea keels scabrous. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Lodicules 2; membranous. Anthers 3; 1.5-2 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum punctiform.
Distribution
Europe: northern, central, southwestern, southeastern, and eastern. Africa: north, Macaronesia, and south. Asia-temperate: Siberia, Soviet far east, Soviet Middle Asia, Caucasus, western Asia, China, and eastern Asia. Asia-tropical: India and Malesia. Australasia: Australia and New Zealand. North America: Subarctic, western Canada, eastern Canada, northwest USA, north-central USA, northeast USA, southwest USA, and southeast USA. South America: Mesoamericana, western South America, and southern South America. Antarctic: Subantarctic islands.
Reference
Poeae. CEH.
[GB]

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation
Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

Distribution
Naturalised in Colombia.
Ecology
Habitat according IUCN Habitats Classification: native grassland.
[UPFC]

Morphology General Habit
Perennial; caespitose; clumped loosely. Stolons present. Basal innovations extravaginal. Culms geniculately ascending; 50-90 cm long. Culm-internodes smooth. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 3.5-6.5 mm long; acute. Leaf-blades 1-2 mm wide.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle. Panicle open; lanceolate, or elliptic; 15-25 cm long. Primary panicle branches 2 -nate. Panicle branches scabrous. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 2 fertile florets; with a barren rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 4 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus glabrous.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 2 fertile florets; with a barren rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 4 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus glabrous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume ovate; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 0.75 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Fertile lemma ovate; 3 mm long; membranous; keeled; 5 -veined. Lemma midvein ciliate. Lemma apex acute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Lodicules 2; membranous. Anthers 3.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum punctiform.
Distribution
Europe: southwestern.
Reference
Poeae. Fl Eur 1995.
[GB]

Uses

Use Animal Food
Used as animal food.
Use Environmental
Environmental uses.
Use Medicines
Medical uses.
[UPFC]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora

    • Clayton, W.D., Vorontsova, M.S., Harman, K.T. and Williamson, H. (2006 onwards). GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora.
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Science Photographs

    • Copyright applied to individual images

  • Useful Plants and Fungi of Colombia

    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0