Annual Meadow Grass - Poa annua, click for a larger image, photo licensed for reuse CCASA2.5
Photo ©2004 James K. Lindsey
Click any photo for a larger image
Annual Meadow Grass - Poa annua, click for a larger image, photo licensed for reuse CCASA3.0
Photo ©2007 Fabelfroh

Annual Meadow Grass - Poa annua
Family - Poaceae
Also known as - Annual Bluegrass, Spear Grass

Annual or short lived perennial grass growing from a slightly creeping, fibrous, rootstock to 15–30cm (6–12in) high, with branched erect stalks rooting at the lower nodes.  Leaf blades slightly rough on the edges, flowers almost all year, growing in lawns, wasteland, pastures, as a weed in gardens, bare grassland and disturbed ground.  Extremely common throughout the country and useful in grazing livestock.  Leaves pale green, blunt tipped, often wrinkled, drooping with finely serrulate edges.

The self pollinating flowering panicle is open and triangular shaped, 5–7.5cm (2–3in) long comprising branches of oval stalked spikelets 1–2cm (0.4–0.8in) long when flowering, on delicate paired or spreading branches.  Tinged purple occasionally, they can be in flower nearly all year, except for the harder winters.

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