-
The assault resumes: rapid expansion of an invasive grass in Florida
I was in the area, and decided to visit an old site in Kissimmee, FL where I had been reporting the expansion of a large cluster of Imperata cylindrica (cogon grass) since Spring 2021. During the last visit, the cogon grass had managed to go around a large tree blocking its way, and I wanted…
-
White Gold: How sugar and sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum) powered the transatlantic slave trade that killed millions
During hikes in Virgin island National park in St. John, US Virgin islands, we sometimes encountered the ruins of old structures that had been reclaimed by the surrounding flora. Many were just groups of aged stone that seemed to rise pitifully up from the vegetation, as if thrown haphazardly like the toy blocks of some…
-
Tigers in Toyland
Going to Disney World is always a lot of fun, although the size of the crowds sometimes dampens even the most enthusiastic Mickey Mouse fanatic. The Hollywood Studios theme park is a favorite of ours. The Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge area of that park is an amazing immersive experience, one that I would highly recommend,…
-
Yes Mom, rice, corn and wheat are grasses!
I had an entertaining phone call with my mother last week. We had been talking about allergies, which she had, and she had mentioned she knew pollen from trees may have caused it. But she also noted that grass might have caused it, although she wasn’t sure which part of the plant could be causing…
-
A short Anna Maria Island Interlude
We spent the labor day weekend at a cottage right at the beach in Anna Maria Island in Florida, and I had an enjoyable time just reacquainting myself with some of the common grasses that populate the Florida coastline. Anna Maria Island (or AMI, as some of the local businesses like to say) itself is…
-
Defining Grasses: The Amazing Awns of Grasses
If one were in the habit of identifying grasses, then the presence of visible and distinctive structures on the spikelets would be one way to ease the pain of such an endeavor. Fortunately, many grasses have long projections from these reproductive structures that go a long way towards helping the observer. These so-called awns are…
Sejarah Poaceae (Volume 2)
The Story of Grasses – Grasslands and Grassy Open Ecosystems