Tussock grasses or bunch grasses are a group of grass species in the family

Poaceae Poaceae () or Gramineae () is a large and nearly ubiquitous family of monocotyledonous flowering plants commonly known as grasses. It includes the cereal grasses, bamboos and the grasses of natural grassland and species cultivated in lawns an ...

. They usually grow as singular plants in clumps, tufts, hummocks, or bunches, rather than forming a sod or lawn, in meadows, grasslands, and prairies. As perennial plants, most species live more than one season. Tussock grasses are often found as forage in pastures and ornamental grasses in gardens. Many species have long roots that may reach or more into the soil, which can aid slope stabilization,

erosion control Erosion control is the practice of preventing or controlling wind or water erosion in agriculture, land development, coastal areas, river banks and construction. Effective erosion controls handle surface runoff and are important techniques in ...

, and soil porosity for precipitation absorption. Also, their roots can reach moisture more deeply than other grasses and annual plants during seasonal or climatic droughts. The plants provide habitat and food for insects (including

Lepidoptera Lepidoptera ( ) is an order (biology), order of insects that includes butterfly, butterflies and moths (both are called lepidopterans). About 180,000 species of the Lepidoptera are described, in 126 Family (biology), families and 46 Taxonomic r ...

), birds, small animals and larger

herbivore A herbivore is an animal anatomically and physiologically adapted to eating plant material, for example foliage or marine algae, for the main component of its diet. As a result of their plant diet, herbivorous animals typically have mouthpart ...

s, and support beneficial soil

mycorrhiza A mycorrhiza (from Greek μύκης ', "fungus", and ῥίζα ', "root"; pl. mycorrhizae, mycorrhiza or mycorrhizas) is a symbiotic association between a fungus and a plant. The term mycorrhiza refers to the role of the fungus in the plant ...

. The leaves supply material, such as for basket weaving, for indigenous peoples and contemporary artists. Tussock and bunch grasses occur in almost any habitat where other grasses are found, including:

grasslands A grassland is an area where the vegetation is dominated by grasses (Poaceae). However, sedge (Cyperaceae) and rush (Juncaceae) can also be found along with variable proportions of legumes, like clover, and other herbs. Grasslands occur natural ...

, savannas and prairies,

wetlands A wetland is a distinct ecosystem that is flooded or saturated by water, either permanently (for years or decades) or seasonally (for weeks or months). Flooding results in oxygen-free (anoxic) processes prevailing, especially in the soils. The ...

and estuaries, riparian zones,

shrubland Shrubland, scrubland, scrub, brush, or bush is a plant community characterized by vegetation dominated by shrubs, often also including grasses, herbs, and geophytes. Shrubland may either occur naturally or be the result of human activity. It m ...

s and

scrubland Shrubland, scrubland, scrub, brush, or bush is a plant community characterized by vegetation dominance (ecology), dominated by shrubs, often also including grasses, Herbaceous plant, herbs, and geophytes. Shrubland may either occur naturally or ...

s, woodlands and forests, montane and alpine zones, tundra and

dune A dune is a landform composed of wind- or water-driven sand. It typically takes the form of a mound, ridge, or hill. An area with dunes is called a dune system or a dune complex. A large dune complex is called a dune field, while broad, f ...

s, and deserts. East-Falkland

Fire resistance

In western North American wildfires, bunch grasses tend to smolder and not ignite into flames, unlike

invasive species An invasive species otherwise known as an alien is an introduced organism that becomes overpopulated and harms its new environment. Although most introduced species are neutral or beneficial with respect to other species, invasive species ad ...

of annual grasses that contribute to a fire's spreading.

Genera

:Examples: *'' Brachypodium'' *'' Calamagrostis'' *''

Chionochloa ''Chionochloa'' is a genus of tussock grass in the family Poaceae, found primarily in New Zealand with one known species in New Guinea and another on Lord Howe Island (part of Australia). Some of the species are referred to as snowgrass. Most of ...

'' *'' Deschampsia'' *'' Festuca'' *'' Heteropogon'' (tropical climates) *'' Leymus'' *'' Melica'' *'' Muhlenbergia'' *'' Nassella'' *'' Stipa'' *'' Triodia'', formerly ''Plectrachne'' (Australia)

Species

Australia

*''

Gymnoschoenus sphaerocephalus ''Gymnoschoenus sphaerocephalus'', commonly known as buttongrass, is a species of tussock-forming sedge from southeastern Australia. It forms part of a unique habitat in Tasmania. It was originally described as ''Chaetospora sphaerocephala'' by ...

'' – button grass *''

Joycea pallida ''Rytidosperma pallidum'' (syn. '' Joycea pallida''), commonly known as red-anther wallaby grass, is an Australian species of tussock grass found in Victoria, New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory. The grass has flowers in Decemb ...

'' – red anther wallaby grass *''

Poa labillardierei ''Poa labillardierei'', also known as common tussock-grass, is a species of tussock grass that is endemic to Australia. The species was formally described in 1854 by German botanist and physician Ernst Gottlieb von Steudel Ernst Gottlieb von ...

'' – common tussock-grass *'' Poa sieberiana'' – grey tussock-grass

New Zealand

*''

Chionochloa australis ''Chionochloa'' is a genus of tussock grass in the family Poaceae, found primarily in New Zealand with one known species in New Guinea and another on Lord Howe Island (part of Australia). Some of the species are referred to as snowgrass. Most of ...

'' – carpet grass *''

Chionochloa flavescens ''Chionochloa flavescens'', known as broad-leaved snow tussock or haumata in Māori. Endemic to New Zealand, there are several different sub species that look very similar. The leaves which are up to one centimetre wide is larger than most tussoc ...

'' – snow tussock *'' Chionochloa oreophila'' – snow-patch grass *'' Chionochloa rubra'' – red tussock *''

Festuca novaezelandiae ''Festuca'' (fescue) is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the grass family Poaceae (subfamily Pooideae). They are evergreen or herbaceous perennial tufted grasses with a height range of and a cosmopolitan distribution, occurring on ev ...

'' – fescue tussock or hard tussock *''

Poa cita ''Poa cita'', commonly known as the silver tussock, or wī, which is also the Māori name, is a grass of the family Poaceae that is native to New Zealand. ''Poa cita'' was described and named by Elizabeth Edgar in 1986, having previously being nam ...

'' – silver tussock *'' Poa colensoi'' – blue tussock *''

Poa foliosa ''Poa foliosa'' is a species of tussock grass commonly known as muttonbird poa. It is native to the subantarctic islands of New Zealand and Australia. Description ''Poa foliosa'' is a perennial, dioecious grass growing as densely clumped tusso ...

'' – muttonbird poa

North America

:Bunch grasses: * '' Aristida purpurea'' – purple three-awn * ''

Bouteloua gracilis ''Bouteloua gracilis'', the blue grama, is a long-lived, warm-season (C4 carbon fixation, C4) Perennial plant, perennial grass, native to North America. It is most commonly found from Alberta, Canada, east to Manitoba and south across the Rocky ...

'' – blue grama * ''

Calamagrostis foliosa ''Calamagrostis foliosa'' is a species of grass known by the common name leafy reedgrass. It is endemic to northern California, where it grows in the forests and scrub on the coastline. Description ''Calamagrostis foliosa'' is perennial bunchgr ...

'' – leafy reedgrass ( endemic to California) * '' Calamagrostis nutkaensis'' – Pacific reedgrass * ''

Calamagrostis purpurascens ''Calamagrostis purpurascens'', is a perennial grass commonly known as purple reedgrass, purple pinegrass, or alpine reedgrass. It grows 30 to tall. Description ''Calamagrostis purpurascens'' is a large, clump forming, perennial grass; growing ...

'' – purple reedgrass * '' Danthonia californica'' – California oatgrass * ''

Eriophorum vaginatum ''Eriophorum'' (cottongrass, cotton-grass or cottonsedge) is a genus of flowering plants in the family Cyperaceae, the sedge family. They are found throughout the arctic, subarctic, and temperate portions of the Northern Hemisphere in acid bog ha ...

'' – hare's-tail cottongrass * ''

Festuca californica ''Festuca californica'' is a species of grass known by the common name California fescue. This fescue species is native to the U.S. states of California and Oregon, where it is a member of many plant communities, including chaparral and oak wo ...

'' – California fescue * '' Festuca idahoensis'' – Idaho fescue * '' Festuca rubra'' – red fescue * '' Koeleria macrantha'' – junegrass * '' Leymus condensatus'' – giant wildrye * ''

Melica californica ''Melica californica'' is a species of Poaceae, grass known by the common name California melic. Distribution This grass is native to Oregon and California, where it grows in many types of habitat, from mountain forests to open grassland at sea ...

'' – California melic * ''

Melica imperfecta ''Melica imperfecta'' is a species of grass known by the common name smallflower melic and little California melic. It is native to the Arizona, California, and Nevada in the United States and Baja California in Mexico. It grows in chaparral, wo ...

'' – smallflower melic * '' Muhlenbergia rigens'' – deer grass * '' Nassella lepida'' – foothill needlegrass * '' Nassella pulchra'' – purple needlegrass (the state grass of California) * '' Poa secunda'' – pine bluegrass * '' Sporobolus heterolepis'' – prairie dropseed * '' Sporobolus virginicus'' – salt couch grass * '' Tripsacum dactyloides'' – eastern gamagrass

South America

*'' Deschampsia cespitosa'' – tufted hair-grass (up through North America) *''

Nassella trichotoma ''Nassella trichotoma'', the serrated tussock, is a type of bunchgrass plant, native in Argentina, Uruguay, Chile, and Peru. It is on the list of Weeds of National Significance in Australia, reducing the productivity of pasture and creating a fi ...

'' – serrated tussock (common pasture weed in Australia) *'' Poa flabellata'' – tussac grass (

synonyms A synonym is a word, morpheme, or phrase that means exactly or nearly the same as another word, morpheme, or phrase in a given language. For example, in the English language, the words ''begin'', ''start'', ''commence'', and ''initiate'' are all ...

: ''Parodiochloa flabellata'', ''Festuca flabellata'', ''Dactylis caespitosa'') Flora near Keetmanshoop, Namibia

Africa

*'' Heteropogon contortus'' – perennial tussock grass (to Asia, Australasia, Oceania)

Europe

*''

Ampelodesmos mauritanicus ''Ampelodesmos'' is a genus of Mediterranean plants in the grass family, which is known by the common names stramma, Mauritania grass, rope grass, and dis(s) grass. It is classified in its own tribe Ampelodesmeae within the grass subfamily Pooi ...

'' – rope grass *'' Brachypodium sylvaticum'' – false-brome *'' Molinia caerulea'' – purple moor grass (to west Asia and north Africa)

References

External links

California Native Grasslands Association
Bunchgrass species & habitats: preservation & restoration * http://www.landcareresearch.co.nz/resources/identification/plants/grass-key {{Authority control Grasses Biogeography Poaceae Grasslands