|
Poaceae
Grass Family
By: Susan
Smith (native species, some bamboos), Chris Getty (turf), Mark Brosio (bamboos),
and George Rogers
Family
synonym: Gramineae (This older name for the Grass Family remains in use.)
Herbaceous,
fibrous-rooted annual and perennial, often rhizomatous plants with narrow,
usually linear leaves generally in two rows, the blades usually having a ligule
at the top surface where the blade diverges from the stem, and with a sheathing
base wrapping around the stem Flowers minute, in specialized inflorescences
with glumes, lemmas, and paleas. Fruits usually seedlike achenes. A worldwide
family of some 800 genera and over 10,000 species. Differing from Sedges (Cyperaceae)
by having leaves in two rows (instead of 3) and in the specialized inflorescence
structure. Differing from Rushes (Juncaceae) by the leaves in two rows, by
having flowers with no apparent perianth (except for highly specialized
lodicules), and by the specialized inflorescence structure.
Several
plants commonly called grasses or bamboos are not. Among these are:
Aztec Grass
(Ophiopogon ‘Argenteomarginatus’, Liliaceae)
Heavenly
Bamboo (Nandina domestica, Berberidaceae)
Lucky
Bamboo (Dracaena sanderiana, Liliaceae)
Mondo Grass
(Ophiopogon sp., Liliaceae)
Palm Grass
(Curculigo capitulata, Liliaceae)
Note:
Several additional native grasses are available as specialty items. These
include Amphicarpum muhlenbergianum (Blue Maidencane),
Distichlis
spicata (Salt Grass), Eragrostis elliottii (Elliott’s Lovegrass),
Eragrostis spectabilis (Purple Love Grass), Panicum amarum (Beach
Panic Grass), Paspalum monostachyum (Gulf Dune Paspalum),
Sorghastrum
secundum (Lopsided Indian Grass), Sporobolus junceus (Pineland
Dropseed), Sporobolus virginicus (Seashore Dropseed). A local grower of
diverse native grasses is Carl Bates Indigenous plants, Loxahatchee.
(indigiman@aol.com).
For additional information on these species, see NE4, TOB, YAR
Key to Main
Species of Poaceae (Grasses) Cultivated in South Florida
1. Stems
hard and woody…Bamboos
(Bambusa
and related genera. See separate key below)
1. Stem
soft and herbaceous…2
2. Crushed
leaves with lemon fragrance…Lemon Grass (Cymbopogon citratus)
2. Crushed
leaves not smelling like lemon…3
3. Grasses
creeping-rhizomatous; leaves 1/4”- 1/2" wide…Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum)
(lower glume > 1.8 mm long)
3. Grasses
not rhizomatous and/or with leaves of different dimensions…4
4. Leaf
blades < ¼” wide…10
4. Leaf
blades > ¼” wide…5
5. Leaf
blades > 2” wide…Tiger Grass (Thysanolaena latifolia)
5. Leaf
blades < 2” wide…6
6. Grasses
with plumelike inflorescences > 6’ tall…Pampasgrass (Cortaderia selloana)
6.
Inflorescences not resembling feathery plumes, < 6’ tall…7
7. Seashore
grasses, with very showy, flat flower clusters…Sea Oats (Uniola paniculata)
7. Grasses
usually grown inland (or coastal), the inflorescences not with showy bangles…8
8.
Inflorescences with more or less umbellate clusters of narrow wands, these
breaking apart into separate units when ripe…9
8.
Inflorescence cylindric in outline (about like a sausage) and bristly, often
purplish …Fountaingrass (Pennisetum setaceum)
9. Grasses
> 5’ tall…Fakahatchee Grass (Tripsacum dactyloides)
9. Grasses
smaller…10
10.
Inflorescences made up of more or less umbellate spikes…Dwarf Fakahatchee,
Florida Gamagrass (T. floridanum)
10.
Inflorescences otherwise…11
11.
Inflorescence stalks 3’-6’ tall, the spikelets in compact fingerlike spikes,
these bent upward along the main inflorescence stalk; ligules fibrous…Sand
Cordgrass (Spartina bakeri)
11.
Inflorescence stalks usually < 3’ tall, the spikelets in diffuse wispy, pinkish
or violet panicles; ligule membranous…Muhly Grass (Muhlenbergia capillaris)
Key to the
Bamboos Included in this Manual
1. Canes
with at least some yellow coloration…2
[Note:
Bambusa vulgaris ‘Wamin’ may or may not have yellow on the culm, but is
easily recognized as a dwarf selection with swollen internodes.]
1. Canes
green or green-white variegated, or purplish, sometimes with powdery white wax
[See note about Bambus vulgaris ‘Wamin’ above.]…6
2. Yellow
variegation taking the form of striping alternating by 180 degrees on successive
internodes…Emei Bamboo (B. emeienis)
2. Yellow
cane coloration otherwise…3
3. Plants
rhizomatous; canes flattened on one side at least at nodes; leaves serrulate on
one edge, white below, tessellate (surface marked with rectangular or square
depressions); sheath with purple spots…Yellow Bamboo (Phyllostachys aurea)
3. Plants
clumpers; canes round, including at nodes; leaves merely rough on the margins,
green on both surfaces, not tessellate; sheaths without purple spots…4
4. Tall
(30’) slender bamboos (1”-2”) with the yellow cane coloration diffuse;
internodes not swollen…Emerald Bamboo (Bambusa mutabilis; see also
B.
textilis for very similar species)
4. Bamboos
either much larger (to 50’ with 4” culms) or with swollen internodes…5
5. Large
specimens; culms golden-yellow with green markings resembling enamel
paint…Painted Bamboo (Bambusa vulgaris ‘Vittata’ or ‘Striata’)
5. Dwarf
specimens to about 16’ tall with swollen internodes…Wamin Bamboo (Bambusa
vulgaris ‘Wamin’)
6. Canes
becoming dark-purplish…Timor Black Bamboo (Bambusa lako)
6. Canes
otherwise…7
7. Canes
green with blue color tones (along with white-waxy powder)…Tropical Blue Bamboo
(Bambusa chungii)
7. Canes
green, olive, or green-white variegated, with or without white powder…8
8. Canes
solid, olive-green with darker green striping, sometimes with white powder…Angel
Mist Bamboo (Dendrocalamus minor forma amoenus)
8. Stems
hollow, green or green-white variegated …9
9. Canes
usually < 2” in diameter…10
9. Canes >
2” in diameter…11
10. Canes
<15’ tall, straight; leaves green-white variegated…Malay Dwarf Bamboo (Bambusa
glaucophylla)
10. Canes
>20’ tall, vertical but nodding at the tips; leaves green…Slender Weavers Bamboo
or Emerald Bamboo (Bambusa textilis; see
B. mutabilis for a
similar species)
11. Large
bamboo (40’-70’ with culm 3”), the canes with yellow striping basally; leaves 1”
wide…Bengal Bamboo (Bambusa tulda ‘Striata’)
11. Smaller
(30’ with culm 2”) bamboo with the canes green (though with yellowish leaf
sheaths sometimes providing alternating yellow-green pattern); leaves ½”
wide…Maling Bamboo, Seabreeze Bamboo (Bambusa malingensis)
Other plants listed in the manual include:
Andropogon glomeratus
Bambusa
emeiensis
Bambusa oldhamii
Bambusa pervariabilis
Cenchrus spinifex
Cynodon dactylon
Eragrostis ciliaris
Melinis repens
Otatea acuminata
Paspalum notatum
Sorghastrum secundum
Zoysia japonica |
