Poaceae

(=Gramineae)

Grasses

From Streeter et al., 2016, 'Family Key':

"Perianth absent; flowers hermaphrodite, enclosed between 2 bracts. Stems cylindrical or oval in section; hollow (except at nodes); leaves alternate, consisting of basal sheath enclosing stem and free blade"

Poaceae are monocotyledons.

For the specimen(s) below, hover over image in gallery for description and select for a full screen preview.

ID: 020

Date: 30 Apr 2024

Locality: Page Hill, Buckingham

Location (Lat/Long): 52.00235, -0.97256

Landscape/habitat: Behind houses on grassy area between houses and road. Underneath some tree cover (shaded), near compacted ground (footpath/desire-line).

Identification notes: Le.

From Streeter et al. (2016, p.612) description of characters, with my observations:

• Habitat: Disturbed ground, bare or trampled patches in grasslands, paths...(this fits the description of the location).

• 1-2 branches at each node (yes, as per images)

• Flowers year round (so expected to see some)

From Price (2021, p.49):

• Small branched panicle pointing to one side (can see that the panicle doesn't point all the way around the stem, only 180 degrees)

Name: Annual Meadow Grass, Poa annua

ID: 014

Date: 17 Apr 2024

Locality: Pilch Field, Buckinghamshire

Location (Lat/Long): 51.98266, -0.91183

Landscape/habitat: Wet meadow, SSSI and managed by Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust (BBOWT, no date). Shows ancient 'ridge and furrow' plough marks.

Identification notes: Noticed a tuft of this grass at the edge of a ridge.

From Streeter et al. (2016, p.624) description of characters, with my observations:

• Sheaths with conspicuous ring of hairs at junction of blade (yes - this was the first diagnostic)

• Inflorescence: Dense, spike-like panicle (as shown in images)

• Habitat of meadows, pastures

• Flowers Apr - Jul (so expected at this time)

The other key diagnostic is the smell (of 'newly mown grass/hay')

Name: Sweet-vernal grass, Anthoxanthum odoratum

References

Streeter, D., Hart-Davies, C., Hardcastle, A., Cole, F. and Harper, L. (2016) Collins wild flower guide. Revised and updated 2nd edition. edn. London: William Collins.

BBOWT (no date) Pilch Field. Available at: https://www.bbowt.org.uk/nature-reserves/pilch-field (Accessed: 13 May 2024).

Price, D. (2021) A field guide to grasses, sedges and rushes. The Species Recovery Trust.