ILLINOIS PLANT INFORMATION NETWORK
 
 ILPIN INFORMATION ON    Poa pratensis
 
 
 CLASS:    MONOCOTYLEDENAE
 ORDER:    CYPERALES
 FAMILY:   POACEAE
 SCIENTIFIC NAME:  Poa pratensis
 AUTHORITY:  L.
 
 COMMON NAMES:
    KENTUCKY BLUEGRASS
 
 SYNONOMY:   None
 
 PLANTS CODE: POPR
 
 NATURAL COMMUNITIES:
     FOREST
     WETLAND
       SEEP & SPRING
         TYPICAL SEEP
         ACID GRAVEL SEEP
       BORDER OF LAKE
     PRIMARY
       GLADE
         LIMESTONE
     CULTURAL
 
 SAF FOREST COVER TYPE:  UNAVAILABLE
 
 
 NATURAL DIVISION:
     Coastal Plain
        Cretaceous Hills
 
 COUNTIES:
   ADAMS           ALEXANDER       BOND            BOONE           BROWN
   BUREAU          CALHOUN         CARROLL         CASS            CHAMPAIGN
   CHRISTIAN       CLARK           CLAY            CLINTON         COLES
   COOK            CRAWFORD        CUMBERLAND      DEKALB          DEWITT
   DOUGLAS         DUPAGE          EDGAR           EDWARDS         EFFINGHAM
   FAYETTE         FORD            FRANKLIN        FULTON          GALLATIN
   GREENE          GRUNDY          HAMILTON        HANCOCK         HARDIN
   HENDERSON       HENRY           IROQUOIS        JACKSON         JASPER
   JEFFERSON       JERSEY          JO DAVIESS      JOHNSON         KANE
   KANKAKEE        KENDALL         KNOX            LAKE            LASALLE
   LAWRENCE        LEE             LIVINGSTON      LOGAN           MCDONOUGH
   MCHENRY         MCLEAN          MACON           MACOUPIN        MADISON
   MARION          MARSHALL        MASON           MASSAC          MENARD
   MERCER          MONROE          MONTGOMERY      MORGAN          MOULTRIE
   OGLE            PEORIA          PERRY           PIATT           PIKE
   POPE            PULASKI         PUTNAM          RANDOLPH        RICHLAND
   ROCK ISLAND     ST. CLAIR       SALINE          SANGAMON        SCHUYLER
   SCOTT           SHELBY          STARK           STEPHENSON      TAZEWELL
   UNION           VERMILION       WABASH          WARREN          WASHINGTON
   WAYNE           WHITE           WHITESIDE       WILL            WILLIAMSON
   WINNEBAGO       WOODFORD
 
 GROWTH FORM:  Monocot
 
 TAXONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS:
    ROOTS:  Adventitious   (rhizomes)
    LEAF ARRANGEMENT:   Alternate
    LEAF TYPE:   Simple
    LEAF MARGIN:   Entire
    LEAF VENATION:  Parallel
    LEAF SHAPE:     Linear
    INFLORESCENCE:   Panicle
    FLOWER MEROUS:  3
    FLOWER STRUCTURE:   Complete
    FLOWER PLACEMENT:  Hypogynous
    FRUIT:   Grain
 
 DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTIC COMMENTS:
     Along with P. angustifolia, this is only rhizomatous species of
     Poa in Illinois with intermediate lemma nerves glabrous.
 
 GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION:
     ORIGIN:   Introduced-  Europe   Asia
 
 GEOGRAPHIC COMMENTS:
     Species is found in every county.
 
 POPULATION DYNAMICS:
     STATE STATUS: Not listed
     FEDERAL STATUS: Not listed
     COMMONNESS:  Common
     ENDEMIC:   NOT-ENDEMIC
 
 BIOLOGIC:
     HABIT:   Grasslike
     LIFE CYCLE:   Perennial
     REPRODUCTION:   Sexual   Vegetative
     FLOWERING PERIOD:
         MONTH BEGINNING-      4         MONTH END-      7
     TROPHIC STATUS:  Autotrophic
     C02 FIXATION:  C3
     SEX:      Perfect
 
 ECODISTRIBUTION COMMENTS:
     Species is distributed in open woods, waste ground, and along river banks.
 
 ENVIRONMENTAL RELATIONSHIPS:   No data entered
 
 FUNCTIONAL RELATIONSHIPS:
     MYCORRHIZAE:   endomycorrhizal
     NITROGEN FIXING   Maybe
 HUMAN RELATIONSHIP DATA:
     ALLERGENIC:  Yes
 
 
 HUMAN FACTOR COMMENTS:
     With orchard grass (Dactylis glomerata), Poa pratensis accounts for most
     of the hayfever in the eastern U.S. during May and June.
 
 WILDLIFE AND LIVESTOCK INFORMATION:
     FOOD VALUE:  No data entered
     COVER VALUE:  No data entered
 
 LIVESTOCK PALATABILITY DATA:
     CATTLE FORAGE: No data    SHEEP FORAGE:  No data    HORSE FORAGE:  No data
     GOAT FORAGE:   No data    ENERGY VALUE:  Medium     PROTEIN VALUE: Low
     POISONOUS (LIVESTOCK):   No
 
 LIVESTOCK COMMENTS:
     This is considered to be one of the best pasture grasses.
 
 REVEGETATION PLANTINGS:
     WEEDINESS:   COLONIZING
 
 
 REVEGATATION COMMENTS:
     This is a choice lawn grass, especially in cooler and moister
     climates of northern half of U.S.; can be a serious weed.
 
 
 REFERENCES:
Steyermark, J. A.  1963.  Flora of Missouri.  Iowa State University Press, Ames.
     1725 pp.
Swink, F., and G. S. Wilhelm.  1979.  Plants of the Chicago region.  Third ed.
     The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, Illinois.  922 pp.
Mohlenbrock, R. H.  1967-continuing.  The illustrated flora of Illinois.
     Southern Illinois University Press, Carbondale.
Downton, W. J. S.  1975.  The occurrence of C4 photosynthesis among plants.
     Photosynthetica 9(1): 96-105.
 
 END OF DATA FOR SPECIES  Poa pratensis
 
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 ILPIN was developed by Louis Iverson*, with data compiled by David Ketzner and Jeanne Karnes
 Illinois Natural History Survey, 607 E. Peabody Dr., Champaign, IL 61820
     *currently employed by USDA Forest Service, 359 Main Rd., Delaware, OH 43015