Grassy plants or herbs differ from others in that they do not have perennial aboveground parts that could survive an unfavorable season. However, this is not the only sign, because in the tropics, where there is no winter, they can have perennial above-ground parts, which sometimes grow to impressive sizes.
Biologists call herbs plants that do not have lignified aerial parts. They are always juicy, fleshy. They can be annual, biennial and perennial. The height can also be different, from a few millimeters to 35-45 m. The highest herbs belong to different species, but umbellates, cereals and asters are especially prone to gigantism. Let's get down to it.
Want to know which grass is the tallest in the world? We bring to your attention a list of 10 herbaceous record plants.
List
- 10. Sorghum Sudan, up to 3 m
- 9. Eriantus of Ravenna, up to 3.5 m
- 8. Giant Miscanthus, up to 3.5 m
- 7. Miscanthus is abundantly blooming, up to 4 m
- 6. Sunflower one year old, up to 5 m
- 5. Reed, up to 5 m
- 4. Syrup papyrus, up to 5 m
- 3. Cirrus bristles purple, up to 7 m
- 2. Banana, up to 9 m
- 1. Giant bamboo, up to 45 m
10. Sorghum Sudan, up to 3 m
Other names - Sudanese or Sudanese grass. This is a variety of sorghum that belongs to cereals. It is an annual herbaceous plant native to Africa, the Nile Valley.
But now it is grown almost all over the world, because it is considered fodder. From hectare you can collect up to 400 centners of green mass. It grows to 0.5 - 3 m. After 1.5 months after sowing, intensive growth begins Sorghum Sudanese, daily it adds 5-10 cm. After mowing, it quickly grows, so you can spend several cuts per season - up to 4-5, if the grass is constantly watered.
It is considered a valuable forage crop, as contains a lot of proteins and carbohydrates. In India and China, porridge is made from Sudanese, and cakes are made from flour.
9. Eriantus of Ravenna, up to 3.5 m
His other name is fluff. At the end of summer, its silver panicles can grow up to 3 or 3.5 m, and remain in this form throughout the winter. It is used to decorate the landscape, thanks to its impressive growth, powerful leaves and incredibly beautiful silver panicles. There is no more beautiful decoration of the autumn and winter landscape.
In nature, he prefers rocky, fine-grained slopes, grows on the foothills, along canals and rivers. It can be found in southern Europe, in Asia, the Caucasus, and Africa.
The local population uses stems Erianthus Ravenna, to make mats, baskets, covers them with roofs, weaves ropes. It is also used to create dry bouquets and rough paper, because stems contain up to 40% of cellulose.
8. Giant Miscanthus, up to 3.5 m
It belongs to the Cereals family. Miscanthus is a genus of perennial herbaceous plants, which has more than 40 species. One of the largest representatives of this family is Giant miscanthus. It has another name - “american reeds».
It grows to a gigantic size, because he has a special type of photosynthesis. It has dark green leaves, not wide, about 2-3 cm. In a cold climate, it does not bloom, but in a warmer at the end of summer a panicle is bloomed, which is first pink in color and then becomes silver.
It is used to decorate lawns and decorative ponds, as well as to create dry floral compositions.
7. Miscanthus is abundantly blooming, up to 4 m
Bushy cereal plant, whose homeland is Korea and Japan, there it grows in the wild. It has a thick rhizome, often bulging from the soil, from which erect stems with leaves grow. Usually they reach 2.5 m in height, but under favorable conditions grow up to 4 m. If it is grown in areas where there is a cold winter, the aerial part dies, but by the next year it again extends to its usual height.
At the end of summer, inflorescences with grayish-brown small flowers are formed, which are pollinated by the wind. Panicles are covered with silver hairs. Used to decorate the landscape, planted among trees, near ponds, to create hedges.
From the stems Miscanthus Blooming make paper, and young leaves feed animals. Rhizomes are used by folk healers. The local population of Papua New Guinea uses them to create fences, to build houses, and also as torches.
6. Sunflower one year old, up to 5 m
A type of herbaceous plant that belongs to the Astrov family and to the genus Sunflower. Its stem grows to 5 m. It is erect, does not branch, is covered with hard hairs. Inside the stem, you can see the elastic, soft core. Leaves grow up to 40 cm, green, with pointed ends. Flowers are in large inflorescences-baskets, they reach 30-50 cm in diameter, they are colored either yellow or orange.
Sunflower annual grows in North America, where it was grown more than 2 thousand years ago. Now it is used to obtain sunflower oil, and its seeds have become our favorite treat. Kozinaki, halva are made from them, added to confectionery.
5. Reed, up to 5 m
It belongs to the Cereals family. It has long rhizomes, the stem grows up to 5 m, it is strong, hollow inside. Inflorescence is a dense panicle. Meet the thickets cane it is possible along the banks and in river deltas, in countries with a temperate or warm climate. It is a lot of it in Ukraine, at the rivers of Dnieper and Danube. Reed loves water. May grow in flood meadows or swamps. In nature, this is the food supply of some wild animals.
People used reeds to make roofs. From it weaved mats and other products, made wind musical instruments. Rhizomes were eaten raw, and boiled, and baked. But they should not be used for food for a long time, because painful symptoms appear: sagging bellies grow, people swollen, pain and heaviness appeared.
4. Syrup papyrus, up to 5 m
Another common name is papyrus. It grows in Africa. It is very tall, stretches up to 4-5 m. At the end of each stem a bunch of thin stalks of bright green color grows, whose length is 10-30 cm. It blooms in late summer, then fruits that look like nuts appear.
This is a tropical plant that does not tolerate cold. For it to bloom and grow well, it needs sunlight. Clear papyrus prefers to grow in shallow lakes, in swamps, along the banks of streams. Once the Egyptians made papyrus writing material. But now it is an ornamental plant.
3. Cirrus bristles purple, up to 7 m
Other name - Elephant grass, it belongs to the Cereals family. In subtropical and tropical countries it is used as a forage crop. This name was given due to the appearance of inflorescences, and came from the words “feather” and “bristly”.
At Cirrus bristles purple powerful root system, which can penetrate deep into 4.5 m. The stems are very tall, grow up to 7 m, with a diameter of 2.5 cm. Sometimes a whole bush is formed, consisting of 20-200 stems. An inflorescence is a spike-shaped panicle, its length is from 7 to 30 cm.
Elephant grass loves light, moisture and heat, prefers open areas, but does not tolerate wetlands. Its homeland is Africa, but it has spread to other countries. From the stems make hedges and light buildings, planted to protect the soil from erosion. Soups are prepared from young inflorescences.
2. Banana, up to 9 m
One of the oldest cultivated plants, whose homeland is the Malay archipelago. Until now, it is grown in large quantities in tropical countries, and then exported to other countries. The genus unites many species. All plants have a powerful root system, as well as a stem with 6-20 leaves. He has a different height, from 2 to 9 m and even higher, up to 12 m.
Often banana confused with a tree. It blooms 8-10 months after active growth. Fruits appear only from female flowers, and berries with a thick leathery shell appear, the size and color of the fruit depends on the variety.
1. Giant bamboo, up to 45 m
The highest grass belongs to the Cereal family, the Bamboo subfamily, in which there are 1200 species. Some of them, Dendrocalamus giganteus and Dendrocalamus sinicus grow to 48 m.
Meet giant bamboo possible all over the world, but Asia is considered its homeland. After the bamboo blossoms, the plant dies, and the green, full of life bamboo forests disappear, becoming similar to the effects of conflagrations. This is especially difficult for pandas, for whom bamboo is a source of food. Fortunately, this does not happen so often, the interval is from 20 to 120 years.