Have you ever tried to identify a grass? Most of us who like to look at plants and learn their names will probably admit that we often give up on grasses pretty quickly, or just ignore them entirely. They aren’t the easiest plants to identify to species, and there are so many of them. Without close inspection, they can all look pretty similar. Their flowers aren’t particularly showy, and their…

Inside of a Seed: Two Monocots

“Seeds are travelers in space and time – small packages of DNA, protein, and starch that can move over long distances and remain viable for hundreds of years. These packages have everything they need not only to survive, but also to grow into a plant when they encounter the right conditions.”      — The Book of Seeds by Paul Smith

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As illustrated in last week’s post, the mature seeds of…

On and On by Caryopsis

Got7/JJ Project

Length: 15,755 (in progress)

Rating: Mature

Pairing: Jaebum/Jinyoung

Author Summary: 

Maize Anatomy and the Anatomy of a Maze

Commonly known as corn throughout much of North America, maize is a distinctive emblem of the harvest season. It is one of the most economically important crops in the world (the third most important cereal after rice and wheat) and has scads of uses from food to feed to fuel. The story of its domestication serves as a symbol of human ingenuity, and its plasticity in both form and utility is a…

Woodoats

Inland Sea Oats/Northern Sea Oats/River Oats

(unranked): Angiosperms (unranked): Monocots (unranked): Commelinids Order: Poales Family: Poaceae Subfamily: Centothecoideae Genus: Chasmanthium Species: C. latifolium

Native Range: Eastern U.S. and Northern Mexico

Height: 1m

Spread: 30-50cm

Bloom Description: Late summer and autumn blooming

Life-cycle: Perennial

Sun: Full-sun to partial shade

Water: Moist soil

Maintenance: Cut back to ground in early spring

Suggested Use: Ornamental grass/ Autumn and winter interest

Flower: Flat fans of green to brown seed heads

Fruit: Caryopsis 

Tolerates: Shade

Noteworthy Characterisics: Excellent as a dried ‘flower’

Problems:

Zebra Grass

Chinese Silver Grass/Eulalia Grass/Maiden Grass/Susuki Grass/Porcupine Grass/Japanese Silver Grass

(unranked): Angiosperms (unranked): Monocots (unranked): Commelinids Order: Poales Family: Poaceae Subfamily: Panicoideae Genus: Miscanthus Species: M. sinensis

Native Range: China, Japan, Taiwan, and Korea

Height: 4m

Spread: 1.2m

Bloom Description: Autumn blooming

Life-cycle: Perennial

Sun: Full-sun to partial shade

Water: Moist, well-drained soil

Maintenance: Cut back in spring. Protect from excessive winter moisture.

Suggested Use: Ornamental grass

Flower: Maroon or purple/brown panicles of spikelets 

Fruit: Caryopsis 

Tolerates:

Noteworthy Characterisics:

Problems: