Fernald's Bluegrass / Center For Plant Conservation
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Plant Profile

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)?

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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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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