Bog bluegrass facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Bog bluegrass |
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| 1950 illustration | |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Poa
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| Species: |
paludigena
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Poa paludigena, also known as bog bluegrass or marsh bluegrass, is a type of grass. It grows naturally in the northeastern parts of the United States.
What is Bog Bluegrass?
Bog bluegrass is a plant that lives for many years. It grows in loose clumps of thin, light green stems that can reach up to 55 centimeters (about 22 inches) tall. Unlike some grasses, it doesn't spread much underground with special stems called stolons or rhizomes.
Its leaves are very thin, usually less than 2 millimeters wide and 10 centimeters long. The plant's flowers grow in a loose, open cluster called a panicle. This cluster has only a few small spikelets, which are tiny groups of flowers. It can be quite hard to tell bog bluegrass apart from other similar grasses without looking at it very closely, sometimes even with a microscope!
Where Does Bog Bluegrass Live?
This grass loves cool, wet places. You can find it in wetlands like bogs, swamps, and damp meadows. It often grows in muddy areas with squishy Sphagnum moss. It also likes swamps that are fed by springs, especially where trees like black ash and yellow birch are common.
Even though it's not a plant that lives completely underwater, bog bluegrass needs very wet soil to grow well. Many other plants share its home, such as Alnus incana ssp. rugosa, Calamagrostis canadensis, Cypripedium reginae, Doellingeria umbellata, Eupatorium perfoliatum, Galium asprellum, Geum rivale, Impatiens capensis, Larix laricina, sensitive fern, Polygonum sagittatum, Rhamnus alnifolius, Symphyotrichum lanceolatum, Symphyotrichum puniceum, and Thelypteris palustris.
Is Bog Bluegrass in Danger?
The main concern for bog bluegrass is that its wetland homes could be damaged or destroyed. However, scientists don't believe that any of the known groups of bog bluegrass are in immediate danger of disappearing completely from their locations.
