Annual bluegrass

June 4, 2015

Poa annua L. Poaceae (Grass family)

Life cycle

Clump-forming winter or summer annual.

Annual bluegrass plant
Annual bluegrass clump.

Leaves

Hairless, soft, light green leaves are folded in the bud and lack auricles. Leaves have linear margins (sides are parallel) and distinctive boat-shaped tips.

Annual bluegrass leaf
Boat-shaped leaf tip of annual grass.

Ligule

Slightly pointed membranous ligule.

Stems

Upright, bending, up to 1-foot-tall stems are clump-forming, enlarge by tillering and may root at the lower nodes.

Flowers and fruit

The seedhead is a greenish white open panicle made up of single or paired branches that form a pyramid shape. Each spikelet contains two to six flowers.

Annual bluegrass seedhead
Annual bluegrass seedhead.

Reproduction

Seeds.

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