Poa leptocoma
Encyclopedia
Poa 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 climate
s and the Arctic
. It is also known from the Kamchatka Peninsula
.
is a series of branches bearing spikelets, the branches growing appressed to the stem and then spreading out and drooping from the stem as the spikelets mature. The spikelets are green to blue to dark purple in color.
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...
known by the common names marsh bluegrass and western bog bluegrass. It is native to western North America from Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
to New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
, where it grows in subalpine
Subalpine
The subalpine zone is the biotic zone immediately below tree line around the world. Species that occur in this zone depend on the location of the zone on the Earth, for example, Snow Gum in Australia, or Subalpine Larch, Mountain Hemlock and Subalpine Fir in western North America.Trees in the...
and alpine climate
Alpine climate
Alpine climate is the average weather for a region above the tree line. This climate is also referred to as mountain climate or highland climate....
s and the Arctic
Arctic
The Arctic is a region located at the northern-most part of the Earth. The Arctic consists of the Arctic Ocean and parts of Canada, Russia, Greenland, the United States, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland. The Arctic region consists of a vast, ice-covered ocean, surrounded by treeless permafrost...
. It is also known from the Kamchatka Peninsula
Kamchatka Peninsula
The Kamchatka Peninsula is a peninsula in the Russian Far East, with an area of . It lies between the Pacific Ocean to the east and the Sea of Okhotsk to the west...
.
Description
Poa leptocoma grows in moist habitats, including meadows and land next to lakes, ponds, and streams. It is a perennial grass growing in loose clumps with stems up to 70 to 100 centimeters in maximum height. The inflorescenceInflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified...
is a series of branches bearing spikelets, the branches growing appressed to the stem and then spreading out and drooping from the stem as the spikelets mature. The spikelets are green to blue to dark purple in color.