It is very common in
meadows and
pastures throughout
Britain. Its preferred habitat is moist, sheltered places. Its
herbage is plentiful and fairly nutritious, though not as much as
Poa annua or
Poa pratensis. It is useful for grazing on heavy and damp soil. It also copes well with the
polluted atmosphere of towns and cities. It is in flower from June onwards throughout the summer. It is often considered a weed of
golf courses. It is an invasive species in the
Great Lakes region and was first sighted in 1843. It has short
stolons. The leaves are broad and tapering, and the sheathes are very rough. It has shiny leaves like
Lolium perenne and
crested dog's-tail. They have pointed
ligules 4–10 mm (3/16 – 3/8 in.) long. Compare to annual meadow grass
Poa annua which is silvery and pointed, and common meadow grass
Poa pratensis which is short and blunt. The roughish, slender stem grows 30 to 60 cm (1 to 2 ft.) high. Compare with smooth meadow grass
Poa annua which has a smooth stem. The
panicle is green and 15 cm (6 in.) long. The
spikelets are egg-shaped. It has a loose, whorled green
panicle, much branched, 15 cm (6 in.) long. It is also called
Orcheston grass, after a village on
Salisbury Plain. ==Wildlife value==