Poaceae
Poa

Poa pratensis L.

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

Descriptions

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]

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/176440/78457132

Conservation
LC - least concern
[IUCN]

Morphology General Habit
Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes elongated. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 10-90 cm long; 2-4 -noded. Culm-internodes terete; smooth. Lateral branches lacking. Leaves mostly basal. Leaf-sheaths keeled; smooth. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1-3 mm long; truncate. Leaf-blades 5-30 cm long; 2-4 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface smooth, or scaberulous; glabrous, or pubescent (rarely); sparsely hairy. Leaf-blade margins scaberulous. Leaf-blade apex abruptly acute; hooded.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle. Panicle open, or contracted; oblong, or pyramidal, or ovate; dense, or loose; 2-20 cm long; 1-12 cm wide. Primary panicle branches ascending, or spreading; 3-5 -nate. Panicle branches flexuous; scaberulous. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 0.2-2 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 2-5 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong, or ovate; laterally compressed; 4-6 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes obscured by lemmas; smooth. Floret callus woolly.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 2-5 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong, or ovate; laterally compressed; 4-6 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 ovate; 2-3.5 mm long; 0.8 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1(-3) -veined. Lower glume primary vein scabrous. Lower glume lateral veins absent, or obscure. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume elliptic, or ovate; 2.5-4 mm long; 0.9-1 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; 3-4 mm long; membranous; much thinner above; much thinner on margins; keeled; 5 -veined. Lemma midvein scabrous; ciliate; hairy below. Lemma lateral veins distinct; stopping well short of apex. Lemma surface granulose. Lemma margins ciliate; hairy below. 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, south, and middle Atlantic ocean. Asia-temperate: Siberia, Soviet far east, Soviet Middle Asia, Caucasus, western Asia, China, Mongolia, and eastern Asia. Asia-tropical: India, Malesia, and Papuasia. Australasia: Australia and New Zealand. Pacific: north-central. North America: Subarctic, western Canada, eastern Canada, northwest USA, north-central USA, northeast USA, southwest USA, south-central USA, southeast USA, and Mexico. South America: Mesoamericana, Caribbean, western South America, Brazil, and southern South America. Antarctic: Subantarctic islands.
Reference
Poeae. CEH.
[GB]

Conservation
IUCN Red List Assessment (2021): LC.
Ecology
Habitat according IUCN Habitats Classification: native grassland.
[UPFC]

Uses

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

Common Names

English
Meadow Grass

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

    • 'The Herbarium Catalogue, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet http://www.kew.org/herbcat [accessed on Day Month Year]'. Please enter the date on which you consulted the system.
    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • IUCN Categories

    • IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2025. 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 Living Collection Database

    • Common Names from Plants and People Africa http://www.plantsandpeopleafrica.com/

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2025. 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