What is a GRASS

ARE ALL HERBACEOUS PLANTS GRASSES?

Lawn of Eleusine indica.Photo by Elisha ©2017

When someone point at a group of plants growing around or when people hear the word “grass” the first thing that pops in their mind is “oh That grass…!” in this case from a layman  point of view all plant as long as it(they) is(are) not tree(s) is referred to as grasses. Are all herbaceous plants grasses? From a professional point of view, all herbs are not grass. The word “grass” is not just any plant but a particular kind of plant that have special features.

Grasses or gramineae are one of the 5th largest family with over 700 genera composed of over 12, 000 species. They are monocotyledonous flowering plants; that is, they do not have visible flowers as seen in most flowering plant; they have scattered vascular bundles, maybe hollow or corky with no tap root but have adventitious roots and leaves ranked alternating. They are well distributed in most habitat types such as rocky outcrop, savanna, marsh lands, along streams or water bodies some even occur in water. Based on these special characteristics they have been grouped into the plant family called Poaceae.

Major characteristics of Grasses

Grasses are diverse in forms such as leaf shape and sizes, density of hair, unique grain size and shape, but one thing is prominent about them which is the fact that they have inter-nodes and ringed at the inter-node. Other features include presence of hair-like structure that could either be soft or tough strong to penetrate human skin. Leaf is narrow and tapering with parallel veins. Petiole appears as a sheath material covering the stem from the node.

Herbs mistaken for grasses

Other forms of herbs mistaken for grasses include seagrasses, rushes and sedges, they are not grasses but in appearance they resemble. But because they do not possess these simple characteristics highlighted other plant types such as herbs should not be mistaken for grasses.

Few have been domesticated by human for food. Those domesticated grasses include Sugarcane, bamboo, cereals such as rice, maize, millet, wheat to name but a few.

Benefits of grasses

Many of the different species have benefited human, arthropods such as insects, spiders and herbivores which includes cattle at many stages of life. 

To human their uses includes:

• Source of Food: Domesticated ones serve as a good source of carbohydrates example is maize, sorghum, millet, wheat, rye, barley rice, and oat.
  In the food chain, they are the primary producers of about 95% of the total energy. They are a source of food to most herbivores which we human depends directly or indirectly.

• Industrial material: Sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum) is an industrial material used to produce sugar.

• Building material: Roofing material for houses examples are thatched grass, bamboo use for furniture and crafts.

• Some are used as beverage such as the lemongrass (Cymbopogom citratus); cereals are also use in brewery.

• Beautification: Many creeping species used in landscaping; lawn grass are used for ground cover (carpet) at home, recreational centers and along walk ways. Aside beautification, grasses prevent soil leaching and erosion.
• Many grasses are considered as weed and if not controlled; they may create home for unwanted visitors such as reptiles, leaf hoppers, spiders and termites.

Because of their similarities, identifying numerous genera have become difficult. But to deal with that, field exposure, experience and consistency is vital.

Major Keys for Identifying grasses is to look out for the following : Cyclic inter-nodes along the stem, Leaf petiole as sheath covering the stem, presence of hairs, Leaves always linear with tapering end and spikelets of flowers . All grasses have a panicles or spikes bearing the fruit.

Few of these grasses are shown below:

Commonly called beard grass. Photo by Elisha ©2017

Commonly called signal grass. Photo by Elisha ©2015

Commonly called hungry rice (wild species). Photo by Elisha ©2015

Commonly called finger millet locally referred as Tamba. Photo by Elisha ©2016

Commonly called thatching grass. Photo by Elisha ©2017

Commonly called thatching grass. Photo by Elisha ©2017

Commonly called spear grass. Photo by Elisha ©2017

Commonly called russet grass. Photo by Elisha ©2017

Commonly called wavyleaf basketgrass. Photo by Elisha ©2016

Commonly called dallis grass. Photo by Elisha ©2015

Commonly called fountain grass. Photo by Elisha ©2015

Commonly called Natal grass. Photo by Elisha ©2015

Commonly called itching grass. Photo by Elisha ©2015

Commonly called bluestem grass. Photo by Elisha ©2017

Commonly called redstem grass. Photo by Elisha ©2017

Commonly called toothache grass. Photo by Elisha ©2017

Commonly called crowfoot grass. Photo by Elisha ©2014

You need to know that not all plants are grasses and at every point in time, these nature's gift of grass can be utilized to make life much more beautiful. Try to different a herb that is not grass and identify a grass; you will find how exciting it feels to have not call spinach a grass. 

Find out what you could do with a species of grass around you than just destroying it by spraying herbicide.

  Source(s)
Akobunku, I.O. and Agyakwa C. W. (1998) Second edition. A hand book of West African Weeds. International Institute Tropical Agriculture. JSB;.J: 978 13] 129 0