Rough Meadow-grass - Poa trivialis
Slightly tufted or single stemmed grass from 20 to 60 cm, without rhizomes, but with leafy stolons. Leaf sheaths of flowering stems very rough. Panicle branches mostly in spreading whorls each branch with 4 to 6 spikelets.
Poa pratensis
The panicle is clearly branched, with three or more branches at the lowest whorl. Spikelets contain two or more florets without awns. Lemmas easily seen extending beyond glume tips. The ligule is longer than wide and the lowest sheath is rough when gently rubbed in one direction against the lips.
Photograph of whole plant in flower, and ligule
Meadows, woods, roadside verges and waste ground.
Late May to July.
Perennial.
Abundant throughout Britain.
Very common in Leicestershire and Rutland. In the 1979 Flora survey of Leicestershire it was found in 568 of the 617 tetrads.
David Nicholls
Ratby
24 May 2014
Graham Calow
The Grange Fields, Broughton Astley
05 June 2015
long ligule
David Nicholls
Bradgate Park
05 July 2013 By Leicester Road Quarry Wall Sapcote SP 4966 9335 (taken 30.5.2008).JPG)
Graham Calow
Sapcote
30 May 2008
David Nicholls
The Brand, Woodhouse
15 June 2013
David Nicholls
Grange Fields, Broughton Astley
05 June 2015
keel under leaf
 By Leicester Road Quarry Wall Sapcote SP 4966 9335 (taken 30.5.2008).JPG)
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Species profile
- Common names
- Rough Meadow-grass
- Species group:
- flowering plant
- Kingdom:
- Plantae
- Order:
- Poales
- Family:
- Poaceae
- Records on NatureSpot:
- 235
- First record:
- 11/05/1992 (John Mousley;Steve Grover)
- Last record:
- 14/08/2025 (Nicholls, David)
Total records by month
% of records within its species group
10km squares with records
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Latest images
Latest records
David Nicholls
Grange Fields, Broughton Astley
05 June 2015
David Nicholls
Ratby
24 May 2014
long ligule
David Nicholls
Bradgate Park
05 July 2013 Marsh near Old Fosse Sapcote SP 4969 9213 (taken 11.6.2008).JPG)
Graham Calow
Marsh near Old Fosse, Sapcote
11 June 2008
David Nicholls
The Brand, Woodhouse
15 June 2013 Marsh near Old Fosse Sapcote SP 4969 9213 (taken 30.5.2008).JPG)
Graham Calow
Marsh near Old Fosse, Sapcote
11 June 2008
David Nicholls
Fosse Meadows
21 May 2014
David Nicholls
Grange Fields, Broughton
05 June 2015
Graham Calow
Main Road, Claybrooke Magna
30 May 2016
long ligule
Graham Calow
Highcross Road, Claybrooke Magna
01 June 2016
long ligule
 Marsh near Old Fosse Sapcote SP 4969 9213 (taken 11.6.2008).JPG)
 Marsh near Old Fosse Sapcote SP 4969 9213 (taken 30.5.2008).JPG)
Choke
Epichloe typhina fungus galls the stems of various grasses, the gall often having a rather tubular appearance. It is white in the early stages, yellowing when mature. On various grasses including many of our most common species including Sweet Vernal-grass, False Oat-grass, Cock's-foot, Perennial Rye-grass, Wood Millet, Timothy and Rough Meadow-grass.