Skye Flora

Alpine Meadow-grass


Poa alpina

 

Poa alpina

Photo © Craig Robson
(Ben Lawers area mid July 2004)

Rare on mountain rocks

Plant up to c 40 cm high, leaves c 2-4 mm wide, ligule c 2-6 mm long

Skye ID: Told from Viviparous Fescue by the leaves being flat, or flattenable, not threadlike.  Told from Alpine Hair-grass by the glumes being less than twice as long as broad.  These are the only other two viviparous Skye grasses and they both occur on mountains like the present species.

Other features: Spikelets normally have 2-4 flowers, whose parts are replaced by a young plant.  Eventually the stems bend or fall over and then the young plants may root in the ground and become separate individuals.  Spikelets normally purple and green, the bottom three pictures show a plant that had them very whitish.

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Poa alpina

Photo © Craig Robson
(Ben Lawers area mid July 2004)

Above: Single spikelet, with young plants
just beginning to show.

Right: ligule

  Poa alpina

Photo © Craig Robson
(Meall Garbh area 18th July 2004)

 

Poa alpina

Photo © Craig Robson
(Meall Garbh area 18th July 2004)

Above: spikelets with young plants,
beginning to bend down to the ground.

Right: Plant growing from previous
generation's spikelet

  Poa alpina

Photo © Craig Robson
(Meall Garbh area 18th July 2004)

 

Poa alpina

Photo © Craig Robson
(Meall Garbh area 18th July 2004)


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