Poa sp.
Blue grass, Blue Grass
(c) Cheng-Tao Lin, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Cheng-Tao Lin · licence
Family: Poaceae · Type: Perennial · Variable; species dependent
Poa sp. (Blue grass) is a non-native California perennial in the Poaceae family.
How to tell it apart
vs Festuca: Poa has boat-shaped, keeled leaf tips; Festuca leaves are flat or rolled but never keeled like a ship's prow.; vs Melica: Poa has fine, narrow leaves with boat-shaped tips; Melica has wider, flat leaves without the distinctive keel.; vs Nassella: Poa leaves have boat-shaped tips you can feel; Nassella leaves roll inward and lack the keel.; vs Koeleria: Poa has cobwebby hairs at seed base and keeled leaf tips; Koeleria lacks both features.; vs Holcus: Poa has boat-shaped leaf tips; Holcus leaves are flat and soft-hairy without any keel.
Frequently asked questions
Is Poa sp. native to California?
No. Poa sp. is not native to California (recorded as variable; species dependent).
What plant family does Poa sp. belong to?
Poa sp. is in the Poaceae family, genus Poa.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-04-14
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.