Poa
Encyclopedia
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of about 500 species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
of grass
Poaceae
The Poaceae is a large and nearly ubiquitous family of flowering plants. Members of this family are commonly called grasses, although the term "grass" is also applied to plants that are not in the Poaceae lineage, including the rushes and sedges...
es, native to the temperate regions of both hemispheres. Common names include meadow-grass (mainly Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
), bluegrass (mainly North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
), tussock (some New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
species), and speargrass. "Poa" is Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
for fodder
Fodder
Fodder or animal feed is any agricultural foodstuff used specifically to feed domesticated livestock such as cattle, goats, sheep, horses, chickens and pigs. Most animal feed is from plants but some is of animal origin...
. Poa are members of the Pooideae
Pooideae
The Pooideae is a subfamily of the true grass family Poaceae. It includes some major cereals such as wheat, barley, oat, rye and many lawn and pasture grasses.- List :...
subfamily of the Poaceae
Poaceae
The Poaceae is a large and nearly ubiquitous family of flowering plants. Members of this family are commonly called grasses, although the term "grass" is also applied to plants that are not in the Poaceae lineage, including the rushes and sedges...
family.
Bluegrass, which has green leaves, derives its name from the seed heads which are blue when the plant is allowed to grow to its natural height of two to three feet. Kentucky Bluegrass, Poa pratensis
Smooth Meadow-grass
Poa pratensis, commonly known as Kentucky Bluegrass, Smooth Meadow-grass, or Common Meadow-grass, is a perennial species of grass native to Europe, Asia, and northern Africa.-General description:...
, is the type species
Biological type
In biology, a type is one particular specimen of an organism to which the scientific name of that organism is formally attached...
of the family Poaceae.
The genus Poa includes both annual
Annual plant
An annual plant is a plant that usually germinates, flowers, and dies in a year or season. True annuals will only live longer than a year if they are prevented from setting seed...
and perennial
Perennial plant
A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives for more than two years. The term is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter lived annuals and biennials. The term is sometimes misused by commercial gardeners or horticulturalists to describe only herbaceous perennials...
species. Most are monoecious
Plant sexuality
Plant sexuality covers the wide variety of sexual reproduction systems found across the plant kingdom. This article describes morphological aspects of sexual reproduction of plants....
, but a few are dioecious
Plant sexuality
Plant sexuality covers the wide variety of sexual reproduction systems found across the plant kingdom. This article describes morphological aspects of sexual reproduction of plants....
(separate male and female plants). The leaves
Leaf
A leaf is an organ of a vascular plant, as defined in botanical terms, and in particular in plant morphology. Foliage is a mass noun that refers to leaves as a feature of plants....
are narrow, folded or flat, sometimes bristled, and with the basal sheath flattened or sometimes thickened, with a blunt or hooded apex and membranaceous ligule.
Cultivation and uses
Many of the species are important pasturePasture
Pasture is land used for grazing. Pasture lands in the narrow sense are enclosed tracts of farmland, grazed by domesticated livestock, such as horses, cattle, sheep or swine. The vegetation of tended pasture, forage, consists mainly of grasses, with an interspersion of legumes and other forbs...
plants, used extensively by grazing
Grazing
Grazing generally describes a type of feeding, in which a herbivore feeds on plants , and also on other multicellular autotrophs...
livestock
Livestock
Livestock refers to one or more domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting to produce commodities such as food, fiber and labor. The term "livestock" as used in this article does not include poultry or farmed fish; however the inclusion of these, especially poultry, within the meaning...
. Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis) is the most extensively used cool-season grass used in lawn
Lawn
A lawn is an area of aesthetic and recreational land planted with grasses or other durable plants, which usually are maintained at a low and consistent height. Low ornamental meadows in natural landscaping styles are a contemporary option of a lawn...
s, sports fields, and golf course
Golf course
A golf course comprises a series of holes, each consisting of a teeing ground, fairway, rough and other hazards, and a green with a flagstick and cup, all designed for the game of golf. A standard round of golf consists of playing 18 holes, thus most golf courses have this number of holes...
s in the United States. Annual bluegrass (Poa annua
Poa annua
Poa annua, or annual meadow grass , is a widespread low-growing turfgrass in temperate climates. Though P. annua is commonly considered a solely annual plant due to its name, perennial bio-types do exist. 'Poa' is Greek for fodder. It is one of the sweetest grasses for green fodder, but less ...
) can sometimes be considered a weed.
According to Galen
Galen
Aelius Galenus or Claudius Galenus , better known as Galen of Pergamon , was a prominent Roman physician, surgeon and philosopher...
the roots of certain species are good for treating fresh wounds and bleeding. In the sixteenth century Poa grasses were used for inflammation of the kidney
Nephritis
Nephritis is inflammation of the nephrons in the kidneys. The word "nephritis" was imported from Latin, which took it from Greek: νεφρίτιδα. The word comes from the Greek νεφρός - nephro- meaning "of the kidney" and -itis meaning "inflammation"....
.
Some of the Poa species are popular for gardens and for landscaping in New Zealand.
Insect foodplant
- See also List of Lepidoptera that feed on grasses
Lepidoptera
Lepidoptera
Lepidoptera is a large order of insects that includes moths and butterflies . It is one of the most widespread and widely recognizable insect orders in the world, encompassing moths and the three superfamilies of butterflies, skipper butterflies, and moth-butterflies...
whose caterpillars feed on Poa include:
- Agriphila inquinatellaAgriphila inquinatellaAgriphila inquinatella is a small moth species of the family Crambidae. It is found in Europe, around the Caucasus area to Turkestan, and in the Near East to Jordan.Three subspecies are accepted today:...
- Cercyonis pegala (Common Wood-nymph)
- Poanes hobomok (Hobomok Skipper)
- Poanes zabulon (Zabulon Skipper)
Species
Species include:- Poa abbreviata - Short Bluegrass
- Poa alpigena - Northern Meadow-grass
- Poa alpinaPoa alpinaPoa alpina, commonly known as Alpine Meadow-grass, is a species of meadow grass.It is noted for being viviparous: Its seeds are evolved to germinate while still connected to the parent plant, in order to give them a safe head start....
- Alpine Meadow-grass - Poa alsodes - Grove Bluegrass
- Poa angustifolia - Narrow-leaved Meadow-grass
- Poa annuaPoa annuaPoa annua, or annual meadow grass , is a widespread low-growing turfgrass in temperate climates. Though P. annua is commonly considered a solely annual plant due to its name, perennial bio-types do exist. 'Poa' is Greek for fodder. It is one of the sweetest grasses for green fodder, but less ...
- Annual Meadow-grass, Annual Bluegrass - Poa arachniferaPoa arachniferaTexas bluegrass is a species of grass.-Hybridization with Kentucky bluegrass:During the 1990s, botanists began experimenting with producing hybrids of Texas bluegrass and Kentucky bluegrass for use as a drought-resistant lawn grass and wintering foraging plant for grazing livestock...
- Texas Bluegrass - Poa arctica - Arctic Meadow-grass
- Poa atropurpureaPoa atropurpureaPoa atropurpurea is a rare species of grass known by the common name San Bernardino bluegrass. It is endemic to southern California, where it is known from two regions, the San Bernardino Mountains near Big Bear and the Laguna Mountains of San Diego County.-Description:It grows in wet mountain...
- San Bernardino Bluegrass - Poa badensis
- Poa balfourii
- Poa bigeloviiPoa bigeloviiPoa bigelovii is a species of grass known by the common name Bigelow's bluegrass. It is native to the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico, where it grows in shady spots in desert and plateau habitat....
- Poa bolanderiPoa bolanderiPoa bolanderi is a species of grass known by the common name Bolander's bluegrass. It is native to western North America from British Columbia to Utah to California, where it is a resident of mountain habitat, particularly pine and fir forests. It is an annual grass growing in clumps up to 60...
- Poa bulbosaPoa bulbosaPoa bulbosa is a species of grass known by the common name bulbous bluegrass. It is native to Eurasia and North Africa, but it is present practically worldwide as an introduced species. It is widespread in the United States and southern Canada. It was introduced to the eastern United States around...
- Bulbous Meadow-grass - Poa cita - Silver Tussock
- Poa chaixiiPoa chaixiiPoa chaixii is a species of perennial grass native to Europe and temperate Asia. Its culms are erect or ascending, ranging from 60–120 cm long, with leaf-blades flat or conduplicate, from 15–45 cm long by 5–10 mm wide.- References :* * * * J. E. Gilibert, Fl. Delph. 1:7. 1788...
- Broad-leaved Meadow-grass - Poa chathamica
- Poa colensoi - Blue Tussock
- Poa compressaPoa compressaPoa compressa is a perennial flattened meadow grass, similar to Common Meadow-grass, Poa pratensis. It is native to Europe but it can be found nearly worldwide as an introduced species. It grows in old wall tops, pavement cracks, dry stony grassland, and many types of wild habitat...
- Flattened Meadow-grass - Poa confinisPoa confinisPoa confinis is a species of grass known by the common names coastline bluegrass and beach bluegrass. It is native to the coastline of western North America from British Columbia to northern California, where it grows on beaches, dunes, and other coastal habitat.-Description:Poa confinis is a...
- Poa cookiiPoa cookiiPoa cookii , sometimes called Cook’s tussock-grass or bluegrass, is a species of tussock grass native to various subantarctic islands...
- Cook's Tussock - Poa cynosuroides - Kusha grass
- Poa cusickiiPoa cusickiiPoa cusickii is a species of grass known by the common name Cusick's bluegrass. It is native to western North America from Yukon to Colorado to eastern California, where it grows in many types of habitat, including high mountain meadows and slopes, sagebrush scrub, and forests.It is a perennial...
- Poa diaboliPoa diaboliPoa diaboli is a rare species of grass known by the common name Diablo Canyon bluegrass. It is endemic to San Luis Obispo County, California, where it is known from about five occurrences in the San Luis Mountains near the coast. The type specimen was collected in Montaña de Oro State Park and the...
- Diablo Canyon Bluegrass - Poa douglasiiPoa douglasiiPoa douglasii is a species of grass known by the common names Douglas' bluegrass and sand dune bluegrass. It is endemic to the coastline of California, where it grows in shifting sand dunes. It can be found mostly along the Central Coast and Channel Islands, and occasionally on the North Coast...
- Douglas Bluegrass - Poa dura
- Poa flabellataPoa flabellataPoa flabellata , called Tussac Grass, is a species of tussock grass native to southern South America and the Falkland Islands. It has been introduced into Scotland as a source of fodder because of its ability to grow in hostile conditions...
- Poa flexuosa - Wavy Meadow-grass
- Poa foliosaPoa foliosaPoa foliosa is a species of tussock grass commonly known as Muttonbird Poa. It is native to the subantarctic islands of New Zealand and Australia.-Description:...
- Muttonbird Poa - Poa glaucaPoa glaucaPoa glauca is a species of grass known by the common names glaucus bluegrass and white bluegrass. It has a circumboreal distribution, occurring throughout the northern regions of the Northern Hemisphere. It is also known from Patagonia. It is a common grass, occurring in Arctic and alpine climates...
- Glaucous Meadow-grass - Poa howelliiPoa howelliiPoa howellii is a species of grass known by the common name Howell's bluegrass. It is native to western North America from British Columbia to northern California, where it grows in rocky areas in woodlands and chaparral, as well as disturbed areas....
- Poa humilis - Spreading Meadow grass
- Poa infirmaPoa infirmaPoa infirma is a species of grass known by the common names weak bluegrass and early meadowgrass. It was first described from a specimen found in Colombia, but it is actually an introduced species in the Americas and is native to Europe. It grows in many types of habitat, including disturbed areas...
- Early Meadow-grass - Poa iridifolia
- Poa kelloggiiPoa kelloggiiPoa kelloggii is a species of grass known by the common name Kellogg's bluegrass. It is endemic to the North and Central Coasts of California, where it grows in coastal forests, including redwood forests. It is a perennial grass producing single stems or loose clumps of several stems up to 85...
- Poa kerguelensisPoa kerguelensisPoa kerguelensis is a species of tussock grass native to various subantarctic islands. The specific epithet refers to the type locality – the Kerguelen Islands.-Description:...
- Poa labillardieri
- Poa leptocomaPoa leptocomaPoa leptocoma is a species of grass known by the common names marsh bluegrass and western bog bluegrass. It is native to western North America from Alaska to New Mexico, where it grows in subalpine and alpine climates and the Arctic...
- Poa macranthaPoa macranthaPoa macrantha is a species of grass known by the common names seashore bluegrass and large-flowered sand dune bluegrass. It is native to the west coast of North America from Alaska to northern California, where it grows in sand dunes and other beach habitat.Poa macrantha is a perennial grass...
- Poa manniiPoa manniiPoa mannii is a rare species of grass known by the common names Mann's bluegrass and Olokele Gulch bluegrass. It is endemic to Hawaii, where it is limited to the island of Kauai. It is threatened by the loss and modification of its habitat...
- Poa napensisPoa napensisPoa napensis is a rare species of grass known by the common name Napa bluegrass. It is endemic to Napa County, California, where it is known from only two occurrences near Calistoga. It grows in moist, mineral-rich soil around hot springs...
- Napa Bluegrass - Poa nemoralisPoa nemoralisPoa nemoralis is a perennial plant in the Poaceae family. The late-growing grass is fairly nutritious for livestock, which feed on it in the autumn....
- Wood Meadow-grass - Poa palustrisPoa palustrisPoa palustris is a species of grass native to Asia, Europe and Northern America. This plant is used as fodder and forage, and it also used for erosion control or revegetation.-External links:****...
- Swamp Meadow-grass - Poa pratensisSmooth Meadow-grassPoa pratensis, commonly known as Kentucky Bluegrass, Smooth Meadow-grass, or Common Meadow-grass, is a perennial species of grass native to Europe, Asia, and northern Africa.-General description:...
- Smooth Meadow-grass, Kentucky bluegrass - Poa sandvicensisPoa sandvicensisPoa sandvicensis is a rare species of grass known by the common name Hawaiian bluegrass. It is endemic to Hawaii, where it is limited to the island of Kauai. It is threatened by the loss and modification of its habitat. It is a federally listed endangered species of the United States.There are...
- Poa secundaPoa secundaPoa secunda is a widespread species of grass native to North America. It is highly resistant to drought conditions, and provides excellent fodder.-External links:**...
- Sandberg's Bluegrass - Poa siphonoglossaPoa siphonoglossaPoa siphonoglossa is a rare species of grass known by the common names Kauai bluegrass and island bluegrass. It is endemic to Hawaii, where it is limited to the island of Kauai. It is threatened by the loss and modification of its habitat...
- Poa subcaerulea - Spreading Meadow-grass
- Poa supina - Creeping Meadow-grass
- Poa trivialisPoa trivialisPoa trivialis , is a perennial plant, and is regarded in the USA as an ornamental plant and is of the Poa family.-Description:...
- Rough Meadow-grass - Poa unilateralisPoa unilateralisPoa unilateralis is a species of grass known by the common names San Francisco bluegrass, ocean bluff bluegrass, and sea-bluff bluegrass. It is native to west coast of the United States from Washington to central California, where it grows in coastal habitats such as bluffs and beaches in sandy...