Welcome to Catnapin's

Grass Gallery

Poaceae, Pooideae, Poeae - Bluegrass & Ryegrass

(Family, Subfamily, Tribe)

Waves of Grain Index - Grass

tribe Poeae

Ryegrass Lolium perenne

Photos taken in Taylor County, Texas, April 2005, June 2007

(Introduced, native of Mediterranean)

Base: annual, no rhizomes, no stolons (runner stem)

Blade (leaf): 2-10mm wide, shrivels to very little when dry

Sheath (leaf part encircling stem): delicate auricles at sides of collar

Culm (main grain stem): 25-70cm tall, thick and succulent when green

Inflorescence: 10-20cm long, 15-30 somewhat appressed branches

Spikelet: 5-12 flowers

Glume: 5-10mm long, 3-7 strong nerves,  first glume absent except on terminal spikelet,

Lemma: 5-10mm long, blunt, awnless or awn to 8mm long

tribe Poeae

Annual Bluegrass Poa annua

Photos taken in Taylor County, Texas, June 2007

(Introduced, native of Europe)

Base: annual, no rhizomes, no stolons (runner stem)

Blade (leaf): 2-12mm long, 1.5-4mm wide, glabrous

Culm (main grain stem): 6-30cm long, often bent at nodes

Inflorescence: open panicle, 3-8cm long, lower branches spreading and nude to 1/2 their length

Glume: about equal

Lemma: 3-3.5mm long, translucent margins, hairy nerves, basal tuft of kinky hair

Other Species In My Area

Texas Bluegrass Poa arachnifera

Male and female flowers on different plants.

(Native of Texas - Taylor, Eastland, Brown)

Base: perennial, rhizomes, no stolons (runner stem)

Blade (leaf): 1-4mm wide, glabrous, flat and sometimes curled inward

Culm (main grain stem): erect, 35-50cm long

Inflorescence: contracted panicle, 5-15cm long, lower branches 2-7cm long with 2-4 branchlets

Female Spikelet: very woolly

Male Spikelet: a few long hairs at base

Female Glume and Lemma: 5-6mm long, papery, pointy

Male Glume and Lemma: 3-5mm long, papery, pointy

Sixweeksgrass (Sixweeks Fescue) Vulpia octoflora

There are several variations possible in my area with differences occurring with the Lemma.

(Native of Texas - Taylor, Brown)

Base: shortlived annual, no rhizomes, no stolons (runner stem)

Blade (leaf): 10mm long, 0.5-1mm wide

Culm (main grain stem): 10-60cm long, week, erect or decumbent, solitary or many

Inflorescence: contracted panicle, 1-20cm long

Spikelet: can be glabrous or hairy, 4-10mm long excluding awns, 5-17 florets with the upper ones reduced

Glume: first glume 1.7-4.5mm long, second glume 2.7-6.7mm long

Lemma of the lowest floret: 2.7-6.5mm long, with an awn 0.3-6mm long

Waves of Grain Index - Grass

Email    wildflowers"at"catnapin.com

to reduce spam, change "at" to @

please be specific