Annual Bluegrass

Description

Small tufted to clumped, yellow-green winter annual. Leaf blade smooth on both surfaces, with two distinct, clear lines, one on each side of the midrib, blades often wrinkled (wavy). Folded vernation. Leaf tip keeled or long, slightly pointed. Sheath smooth, compressed, and keeled. Light green to whitish spikelets that lack cottony hairs, are arranged on branches, one to two per node, in dense to open flower clusters. Fruits throughout life cycle with majority of seedheads formed during spring. Perennial biotypes (P.annua var. reptans (Hauskins) Timm.) occur in moist, closely mowed areas, such as golf course greens. Compared to annual bluegrass, the perennial biotypes generally are darker colored, more prostrate growing, produce few seedheads, and often form patches from short stolens.