Grass
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Grass generally describes a monocotyledonous green plant in the family Poaceae, botanically regarded as true grasses. However, there are many plants outside the Poaceae family that have similar appearances to grass, with leaves rising vertically from the ground, and which are commonly called "grasses", or have "grass" as part of their name. By contrast, there are a number of plants in the family Poaceae, such as maize, bamboo, and sugarcane, that do not resemble plants that lay persons commonly think of as grasses.
Plants called grass
WHO GIVES A ****
- GRASS
Grasses and grass-like plants are among the most versatile of life forms, thriving on every continent except Antarctica. They have existed for millions of years, providing fodder for Cretaceous dinosaurs, whose fossilized dung contains phytoliths of a variety of grasses that include the ancestors of rice and bamboo (Piperno & Sues, 2005). Grasses have adapted to conditions in lush rain forests, dry deserts, and cold mountain steppes.
Grass and society
Grasses and grass-like plants have long had significance in human society, having been cultivated as food sources for domesticated animals for up to 10,000 years (see grass fed beef), and has been used to make paper since at least as early as 2400 B.C.. In modern suburbia, a well maintained grassy lawn is a sign of responsibility to the overall appearance of the neighborhood.
Some idioms evoke images of grass. For example:
- "The grass is always greener on the other side" suggests that the greenness of grass is a positive quality.
- "Don't let the grass grow under your feet" references the speed with which grass grows.
- "A snake in the grass" cautions about the dangers that may be hidden in plants that cover the ground.
See also
References
- Chapman, G.P. and W.E. Peat. 1992. An Introduction to the Grasses. CAB Internat., Oxon, U.K.
- Cheplick, G.P. 1998. Population Biology of Grasses. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
- Milne, L. and M. Milne. 1967. Living Plants of the World. Chaticleer Press, N.Y.
- Soderstrom, T.R., K.W. Hilu, C.S. Campbell, and M.E. Barkworth, eds. 1987. Grass Systematics and Evolution. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, D.C.
- Went, Frits W. 1963. The Plants. Time-Life Books, N.Y.