Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

180 results found

quack grass

(Encyclopedia)quack grass or couch grass, Old World perennial grass (Agropyron repens), now widely distributed and in the United States a troublesome weed. It somewhat resembles a beardless wheat and has creeping, ...

quaking grass

(Encyclopedia)quaking grass, any plant of the genus Briza, annuals or perennials of the Poaceae (grass family), cultivated for the graceful clusters of seeds, which vibrate in a breeze and are used in everlasting b...

ribbon grass

(Encyclopedia)ribbon grass, ornamental perennial grass (Phalaris arundinacea var. picta), a variety of the reed canary grass. It has green leaves striped with white and is often cultivated in gardens; it is also kn...

pampas grass

(Encyclopedia)pampas grass, any species of the genus Cortaderia, tall South American plants of the family Poaceae (grass family) cultivated in warm climates for ornament. The common pampas grass (C. argentea or sel...

orchard grass

(Encyclopedia)orchard grass or cocksfoot, widely distributed perennial grass (Dactylis glomerata) native to Eurasia and N Africa and extensively naturalized in the United States. It is cultivated as a hay grass mor...

Sudan grass

(Encyclopedia)Sudan grass: see sorghum.

beach grass

(Encyclopedia)beach grass or marram grass mârˈəm [key], any species of the genus Ammophila, perennial grasses used to control the shifting of sand dunes, thereby protecting sandy coastal areas. The European beac...

bur grass

(Encyclopedia)bur grass: see sandbur.

buffalo grass

(Encyclopedia)buffalo grass, low perennial grass (Buchloe dactyloides) of the plains regions, one of the most important range grasses. Its dense matted growth is valuable also in erosion control. Buffalo grass usua...

brome grass

(Encyclopedia)brome grass, common name for any plant of the genus Bromus, chiefly large, coarse grasses of a weedy nature; some, however, are useful as forage, and others are cultivated for decoration. Some of the ...