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Grama Grasses of Missouri’s Prairies
Missouri sits squarely in the tallgrass prairie region, and the grassland plants that normally dominate in remnant prairies are relative giants, such as big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii), little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium), and eastern gamagrass (Tripsacum dactyloides). These grasses are rightfully the major focus of attention by nature lovers and cattle producers with native pastures in…
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Eragrostis spectabilis: They Grow Up So Fast
A couple of months ago, I decided to start some ornamental grasses from seeds. One of the seeds I bought was for Eragrostis spectabilis, a native that in its flowering adult form bears a slight resemblance to the Muhlenbergia ornamentals that I already had in my garden. The seeds were the tiniest of the lot,…
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Bamboos Red in Tooth and Claw
The common perception of bamboo has always been somewhat pacifistic, with images of cute pandas intermixed with the culms or images of the beautiful bamboo forests in temperate Asia. But research from the Amazon rainforest seems to show another aspect of this much-loved group of grasses. In the SouthWest Amazon rainforest, a vast area of…
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iNatting on iNaturalist: The Pluses and Minuses
I finally decided to try out iNaturalist in earnest a week or so back, after I had created an account three years ago. If I remember correctly, I had used it before to see whether specific grasses were going to be present during one of our trips. iNaturalist of course is a website (and phone…
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A Parking Lot’s Cenchrus Celebration
Cenchrus (Pennisetum) varieties are a mainstay of the ornamental grass industry. Even in areas here in Florida where the community tries to stick to native ornamental grasses like Eragrostis spp, Trypsacum spp, and Muhlenbergia spp, I have seen Cenchrus spp used liberally in order to add season-long color. Recently, I came upon a parking lot…
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Cogon Grass in Colorado: Proof that Winter-Hardy and Aggressive Reversions are Possible
Imperata cylindrica (Cogon grass) in the USA exists in two divergent forms. The first is the wild type form, which is considered cold-intolerant, fairly large, very aggressive, and has uniformly green leaves. In contrast, an ornamental variety that is very cold-tolerant has reddish-green leaves and is much shorter than the wild form. It is also…
Sejarah Poaceae (Volume 2)
The Story of Grasses – Grasslands and Grassy Open Ecosystems