Fernald's Bluegrass (Poa laxa ssp. fernaldiana)

Global Rank: T3 - Vulnerable
Legal Status: N/A
Family: Poaceae
State: LB, ME, NF, NH, NY, PA, QC, VT
Nature Serve ID: 137189
Lifeform: Graminoid
Date Inducted in National Collection:

Description:

Poa fernaldiana, also known as Poa laxa spp. fernaldiana or wavy bluegrass, is a bunch grass (forms tufts not carpets) that grows between 4 and 10 inches tall. It can be confused with Poa glauca, but the two species grow in very different habitats. P. fernaldiana is only found in alpine habitats typically near the summits of mountains, whereas P. glauca is found in various other habitats. P. fernaldiana is of conservation concern because of its restricted habitat requirements and because of its small range, New England and Northeastern Canada. Also, as of 2000, there were thought to be only 20-30 occurrences total, most in Canada, and the global population size was probably declining. (Maine Natural Areas Program, 2013; NatureServe, 2018; New England Wildflower Society. 2018; USDA and NRCS, 2018)

Where is Fernald's Bluegrass (Poa laxa ssp. fernaldiana) located in the wild?

States & Provinces:

Fernald's Bluegrass can be found in Labrador, Maine, New Hampshire, New York, Newfoundland, Pennsylvania, Quebec, Vermont

Which CPC Partners conserve Fernald's Bluegrass (Poa laxa ssp. fernaldiana)?

Native Plant Trust

Not Sponsored

Assigned 06/09/17

CPC's Plant Sponsorship Program provides long term stewardship of rare plants in our National Collection. We are so grateful for all our donors who have made the Plant Sponsorship Program so successful. We are in the process of acknowledging all our wonderful plant sponsorship donors on our website. This is a work in progress and will be updated regularly.

Conservation Actions

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Fernald's Bluegrass (Poa laxa ssp. fernaldiana) Characteristics

Nomenclature

Taxon	Poa laxa ssp. fernaldiana
Authority	(Nannf.) Hyl.
Family	Poaceae
CPC Number	9816
ITIS	525178
USDA	POLAF
Duration	Perennial
Common Names	wavy bluegrass \| Fernald's bluegrass \| pâturin de Fernald
Associated Scientific Names	Poa fernaldiana \| Poa laxa spp. fernaldiana \| Poa flexuosa subsp. fernaldiana \| Poa laxa var. debilior \| Poa laxa subsp. fernaldiana \| Poa laxa ssp. fernaldiana \| Poa flexuosa ssp. fernaldiana
Distribution

State Rank

State	State Rank
Labrador	S1S2
Maine	S1
Newfoundland	S1
New Hampshire	S1
New York	S1
Pennsylvania	SNR
Quebec	S2
Vermont	S1

Ecological Relationships

Photos

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