Welcome to Catnapin's
Grass Gallery
Poaceae, Pooideae, Poeae - Bluegrass & Ryegrass
(Family, Subfamily, Tribe)
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
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