Poa annua
species of plant
Poa annua, or annual meadow grass (known in America more commonly as annual bluegrass or simply poa), is a widespread low-growing turfgrass in temperate climates. Notwithstanding the reference to annual plant in its name, perennial biotypes do exist.
It originated as an allopolyploid hybrid between Poa supina and Poa infirma. Major chromosomal rearrangements after polyploidy have contributed to variation in genome size in Poa annua.
Description
It has a slightly creeping, fibrous rootstock. The stem grows from 15–25 cm (6–10 in) high. It is slightly flattened, due to being folded rather than rolled.
The panicle is open and triangular shaped, 5–7.5 cm (2–3 in) long. The spikelets are stalked, awnless, 1–2 cm (0.4–0.8 in) long when flowering, and loosely arranged on delicate paired or spreading branches. Sometimes they are tinged purple.
Begin with the source’s own compact description: “Poa annua” is species of plant. The dossier treats that line as a proposition to test through annua, species and plant, not as a finished interpretation.
Why this record matters
The phrase “species of plant” supplies a clear boundary for inquiry. It also exposes the unanswered questions: who defined that boundary, when it became stable and which sources sit outside it.
Stable identifiers, scientific names and standards terminology offer the best bridge between this overview and specialist evidence. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 6, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q157571. The Library of Congress control number is sh2003001549. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank.
A general summary may omit uncertainty, sample limits or methodological disagreement that is explicit in the technical record. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
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This entry incorporates text from “Poa annua” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.