Alpine Meadow-grass |
Poa alpina |
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Photo © Craig Robson |
Rare on mountain rocks, usually calcareous. Plant up to c 40 cm high, leaves c 2-4 mm wide, ligule c 2-6 mm long 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 grasses in the area 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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Photo © Craig Robson Above: Single spikelet, with young plants Right: ligule |
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Photo © Craig Robson |
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Photo © Craig Robson Above: spikelets with young plants, Right: Plant growing from previous |
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Photo © Craig Robson |
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Photo © Craig Robson |