International Journal of Horticulture, 2017, Vol.7, No. 11, 82-94
83
Grass alternatives: Both slow growing and spreading ornamental genotypes and native species of
Carex like Carex
pansa and Carex praegracilis
are useful in sustainable landscaping as low maintenance and drought tolerant grass
alternatives for lawns and garden meadows.
2 Cool Season Lawn Grasses
2.1 Alkali grass (
Puccinella distans
)
Description: This is a native of the Western and north eastern U.S., the Great Plains, New Mexico to Canada. A
cool season and low-growing, erect, perennial bunchgrass. Panicle seed heads are semi-prostrate and feathery.
Culms are 30-45 cm tall and loose matted turf forming. Leaves are narrow and deep green. Alkaligrass has an
aggressive, shallow root system that is able to withstand periodic flooding.
Varieties: ‘Fults’
Importance and uses: This grass is used for reclamation, stabilization of roadside, fairway roughs and turf on
saline-alkali soils. It is generally crowded out on neutral and acid soils by other grasses like Kentucky bluegrass
and tall fescue. It is best for ground cover on saline and alkali soils. It can be harvested at a 1-0-1.5 cm height for
getting dense upright stands and playable fairways or 5cm height for golf course roughs, landscaping and home
lawns. Alkaligrass are also used in mixtures with fescue and bluegrass species for extra fine turf.
It has capacity to persist along road shoulders where salt hazard exists. It is also well adapted to low quality water
or waste effluents.
2.2 Annual blue grass
(
Poa annua
)
(Johnson et al., 1993)
Description: It is a native to Eurasia and it may have evolved as a tetraploi
betwee
and
It bears a slightly creeping and fibrous rootstock. The stems are 20-25cm tall. The
is triangular
shaped, 5.5 to 7.5 cm long. Th
are stalked bu
1 to 2 cm in length at flowering, and loosely borne
on tender paired or spreading branches. Sometimes, they are tinged purple in colour. The leaves are vivid green,
short and blunt at the tips, soft and drooping. The stems are clasped by long sheaths. The leaves are glabrous above
and below, with finely serrated margins. Occasionally the leaf margins are transversely serrated. Th
is acute,
pointed and silvery. It can flower round the year except for severe winters.
Varieties:
Poa annua
L var.
annua
(Winter annual) and
Poa annua
L. var.
reptans
(Short lived perennial).
Importance and uses: This is a low-growing, tufted, annual winter grass and is widely found in lawns, fields and
roadsides. The annual type predominates in cultivated areas, and the perennial types flourish in closely mowed
areas such as golf courses and pasture.
2.3 Canada blue grass (
Poa compressa
)
(Klein, 2008; AOSCA, 2010)
Description: Canada blue grass is native to Europe. It is an introduced and perennial rhizomatous grass. Culms
grow to a height of 15-20 cm, hollow, flattened and glabrous to scaberulous. Sheaths are open, smooth, or faintly
scaberulous, flattened, and keeled. Leaves are flat, folded or loosely involute, boat tipped, glabrous to scabrous
and grooved down middle of upper blade surface. The inflorescence is a narrow panicle 4-8 cm long. Spikelets are
3 to 8 flowered, and tufted at the end of the branches. Canada bluegrass is considered to be apomictic and the
chromosome number is 2n = 42.
Varieties: ‘Canon’ (USDA, 1994), ‘Foothills’, ‘Reubens’, ‘Talon’
Importance and uses: It is a tough, sod forming grass and best for stabilizing low, fertile rocky to clay soils. Due to
the tap root, spreading rhizomes and low growth, this grass is utilized extensively for erosion control and low
maintenance landscaping on infertile roadsides, wastelands and reclamation areas.
