Grasses---Not Just for Breakfast Anymore
July22, 2001

The middle of summer seems to be signaled not only by warm weather but by a change in the color of the land. The lush greens of spring and early summer are tempered in July by the tawny hues of some of the many grasses which surround us but are so easily overlooked. Overnight it seems, crops such as wheat and oats change from verdant to gold. So too do the wild grasses in fields, roadsides and sometimes our lawns! Although many people appreciate and seek out wild and cultivated flowers, few can appreciate or identify grasses, one of the most important of plant families.

Perhaps no other group of plants has been utilized by people. Grasses comprise 10 of the 15 major food crops, including rice, wheat, barley, oats, rye, corn, sorghum and sugar cane. They are a source of both domestic and wild animal feeds and forage, and are also planted to improve the soil. Grasses protect the soil from erosion. They are increasingly planted as ornamentals. The family also includes bamboo, so important in other parts of the world as both food and building material.

The grasses are found worldwide. There are more than 1,000 different species of grasses in the continental United States (covering about half of the land area), and more than 200 in Wisconsin. Like so many natural interests, the beauty of grasses is not always apparent without scrutiny. So too is their ever changing life web. These plants are linked inseparably to so many other living things.

Grasses are flowering plants, but their flowers are often minute, arranged in clusters called spikelets at the ends of stems. There are usually many flowers produced on a single plant, and subsequently many seeds. It is only by careful observation of the spikelets, individual flowers, and seeds that many species can be identified. Some grasses are annual, and rely solely on seeds for reproduction. Others are perennial, and spread by underground rhizomes or runners in addition to seeds. They have round, jointed stems (sedges, another large family of grass-like plants, have angular, unjointed stems).

Because grasses produce many seeds they propagate readily. For this reason many non-native grasses are present across our country. European settlers, unhappy with native grasses in New England (where there were not extensive grasslands) brought seed from grasses which grew in wet areas in the 'old country' to plant as food for cattle. These spread easily with settlers and in many cases escaped cultivation and replaced native plants. When settlers reached the great prairies in the central part of the continent, these vast grasslands were considered endless. The prairies were then cultivated and grazed until a small percentage of the native plants remained. Now there is increasing interest in cultivating native plants and restoring prairies.

Common grasses in this area include native Brome, Quack, and Squirreltail Grasses, and the alien Reed-canary, Timothy, Crab, and Kentucky Blue grasses. Reed-canary grass was formerly found in a native form, which has been overtaken by the eurasian form introduced for marsh hay. Lately, Common Reed has been on the increase and is dominating wetlands, especially those disturbed by people. Prairie grasses include Big and Little Bluestem, Buffalo Grass, and Switchgrass. Several prairie plantings have been established at Woodland Dunes where these and other prairie plants can be seen

Guided prairie hikes are scheduled for July 28 and August 4.