Poa compressa (Canada bluegrass)

Poa compressa L.

Canada bluegrass

Kingdom	Plantae	Plants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae
Subkingdom	Tracheobionta	Vascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients
Division	Magnoliophyta	Flowering plants, also known as angiosperms
Class	Liliopsida	Monocots (plants with a single seed leaf); includes the lily family
Subclass	Commelinidae	Dayflowers and spiderworts, and several others
Order	Cyperales	Flowering plants including grasses
Family	Poaceae	Grasses (but not sedges or rushes)
Genus	Poa	From classical Greek poa (also poie or poia, “grass” or “pasture grass”
Species	compressa	“Compressed or flattened”

About plant names...

Canada bluegrass is a widespread, but introduced, North American plant.

Identification: This grass is 12-24" (30-60 cm) high. Its culms (stems) are green or grayish blue, and relatively flat. Leaves are up to 4" (10 cm) × ⅛" (4.5 mm), also bluish in color. In cross section, the leaves may appear fairly flat or V-shaped, and leaf tips are shaped like the keel of a boat. Where they attach to the culm, they wrap around it for a length of about an inch. The stem tips are topped by a flowerhead that is described and drawn as sparse by some sources, and denser by others. It is about 2-5" (5-12 cm) long and 1-2" (2.5-5 cm) around.

Online References:

Poa compressa at Illinois Wildflowers

Poa compressa on chestofbooks.com

Poa compressa on Vascular Plants of the Gila Wilderness

Poa compressa on

Poa compressa on ftp-fc.sc.egov.usda.gov (PDF)

Poa compressa on

Poa compressa on the USDA Forest Service's Fire Effects Information Database

Poa compressa on CalPhotos

Poa compressa on SEINet—the Southwest Environmental Information Network

Poa compressa on eFloras

Poa compressa description by Thomas H. Kent, last updated 25 May 2020.