''Cortaderia'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the southe ...

n and

Central America Central America ( es, América Central or ) is a subregion of the Americas. Its boundaries are defined as bordering the United States to the north, Colombia to the south, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. ...

n plants in the Poaceae

grass family 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 and ...

Etymology

The common name pampas grass, though strictly referring to ''C. selloana'', is frequently applied to all species in the genus (and sometimes also to species of '' Erianthus'' and ''

Saccharum ravennae ''Tripidium ravennae'', synonym ''Saccharum ravennae'' (and many others), with the common names ravennagrass and elephant grass, is a species of grass in the genus '' Tripidium''. It is native to southern Europe, western Asia and South Asia and i ...

''). The name of the genus is derived from the

Argentine Spanish Rioplatense Spanish (), also known as Rioplatense Castilian, is a variety of Spanish spoken mainly in and around the Río de la Plata Basin of Argentina and Uruguay. It is also referred to as River Plate Spanish or Argentine Spanish. It is the ...

word ''cortadera'', which in turn refers to the sharp serrations on the leaves. ''

Cortaderia jubata ''Cortaderia jubata'' is a species of grass known by several common names, including purple pampas grass and Andean pampas grass. It is similar to its more widespread relative, the pampas grass ''Cortaderia selloana'', but it can get quite a bit ...

'' and '' C. rudiuscula'' produce copious seed asexually.

Description

The species of ''Cortaderia'' are imposing tall grasses growing 1.5–3 m tall, with graceful white inflorescence plumes. They are in widespread use as

ornamental plant Ornamental plants or garden plants are plants that are primarily grown for their beauty but also for qualities such as scent or how they shape physical space. Many flowering plants and garden varieties tend to be specially bred cultivars that i ...

s. ; Species * ''

Cortaderia araucana ''Cortaderia'' is a genus of South American and Central American plants in the Poaceae grass family. Etymology The common name pampas grass, though strictly referring to ''C. selloana'', is frequently applied to all species in the genus (and som ...

'' Stapf - Chile, Argentina * ''

Cortaderia atacamensis ''Cortaderia'' is a genus of South American and Central American plants in the Poaceae grass family. Etymology The common name pampas grass, though strictly referring to ''C. selloana'', is frequently applied to all species in the genus (and so ...

'' (Phil.) Pilg. - Chile, Argentina, Bolivia * ''

Cortaderia bifida ''Cortaderia'' is a genus of South American and Central American plants in the Poaceae grass family. Etymology The common name pampas grass, though strictly referring to ''C. selloana'', is frequently applied to all species in the genus (and som ...

'' Pilg. - Costa Rica, Panama, Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia * ''

Cortaderia boliviensis ''Cortaderia'' is a genus of South American and Central American plants in the Poaceae grass family. Etymology The common name pampas grass, though strictly referring to ''C. selloana'', is frequently applied to all species in the genus (and som ...

'' M.Lyle - Bolivia * ''

Cortaderia columbiana ''Cortaderia'' is a genus of South American and Central American plants in the Poaceae grass family. Etymology The common name pampas grass, though strictly referring to ''C. selloana'', is frequently applied to all species in the genus (and som ...

'' (Pilg.) Pilg. - Venezuela, Colombia * ''

Cortaderia hapalotricha ''Cortaderia'' is a genus of South American and Central American plants in the Poaceae grass family. Etymology The common name pampas grass, though strictly referring to ''C. selloana'', is frequently applied to all species in the genus (and so ...

'' (Pilg.) Conert - Costa Rica, Panama, Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia * ''

Cortaderia hieronymi ''Cortaderia'' is a genus of South American and Central American plants in the Poaceae grass family. Etymology The common name pampas grass, though strictly referring to ''C. selloana'', is frequently applied to all species in the genus (and so ...

'' (Kuntze) N.P.Barker & H.P.Linder - Bolivia, Peru, Argentina * ''

'' (Lemoine ex Carrière) Stapf – Andean pampas grass -

Andes The Andes, Andes Mountains or Andean Mountains (; ) are the longest continental mountain range in the world, forming a continuous highland along the western edge of South America. The range is long, wide (widest between 18°S – 20°S ...

of Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Argentina; naturalized in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Oregon, California, Hawaii * ''

Cortaderia modesta ''Cortaderia'' is a genus of South American and Central American plants in the Poaceae grass family. Etymology The common name pampas grass, though strictly referring to ''C. selloana'', is frequently applied to all species in the genus (and so ...

'' (Döll) Hack. ex Dusén - southern Brazil * ''

Cortaderia nitida ''Cortaderia'' is a genus of South American and Central American plants in the Poaceae grass family. Etymology The common name pampas grass, though strictly referring to ''C. selloana'', is frequently applied to all species in the genus (and so ...

'' (Kunth) Pilg. - Costa Rica, Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru * ''

Cortaderia peruviana ''Cortaderia'' is a genus of South American and Central American plants in the Poaceae grass family. Etymology The common name pampas grass, though strictly referring to ''C. selloana'', is frequently applied to all species in the genus (and so ...

'' (Hitchc.) N.P.Barker & H.P.Linder - Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia * ''

Cortaderia pilosa ''Cortaderia'' is a genus of South American and Central American plants in the Poaceae grass family. Etymology The common name pampas grass, though strictly referring to ''C. selloana'', is frequently applied to all species in the genus (and so ...

'' (d'Urv.) Hack. - Chile, Argentina,

Falkland Islands The Falkland Islands (; es, Islas Malvinas, link=no ) is an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean on the Patagonian Shelf. The principal islands are about east of South America's southern Patagonian coast and about from Cape Dubouzet ...

* ''

Cortaderia planifolia ''Cortaderia'' is a genus of South American and Central American plants in the Poaceae grass family. Etymology The common name pampas grass, though strictly referring to ''C. selloana'', is frequently applied to all species in the genus (and so ...

'' Swallen - Colombia, Peru * ''

Cortaderia pungens ''Cortaderia'' is a genus of South American and Central American plants in the Poaceae grass family. Etymology The common name pampas grass, though strictly referring to ''C. selloana'', is frequently applied to all species in the genus (and so ...

'' Swallen - Colombia, Peru, Venezuela * ''

Cortaderia roraimensis ''Cortaderia'' is a genus of South American and Central American plants in the Poaceae grass family. Etymology The common name pampas grass, though strictly referring to ''C. selloana'', is frequently applied to all species in the genus (and so ...

'' (N.E.Br.) Pilg. - Guyana, Venezuela, Colombia, northwestern Brazil * ''

Cortaderia rudiuscula ''Cortaderia'' is a genus of South American and Central American plants in the Poaceae Poaceae, grass family. Etymology The common name pampas grass, though strictly referring to ''C. selloana'', is frequently applied to all species in the genus ...

'' Stapf - Andes of Chile, Argentina, Peru, Bolivia * ''

Cortaderia selloana ''Cortaderia selloana'' is a species of flowering plant in the Poaceae family. It is referred to by the common name pampas grass, and is native to southern South America, including the Pampas region after which it is named. Etymology ''Cortade ...

'' (Schult. & Schult.f.) Asch. & Graebn. – pampas grass - Chile, Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, Bolivia; naturalized in parts of northern South America, Mesoamerica, West Indies, southern USA, Australia, New Zealand, Mediterranean Basin, etc. * ''

Cortaderia sericantha ''Cortaderia'' is a genus of South American and Central American plants in the Poaceae grass family. Etymology The common name pampas grass, though strictly referring to ''C. selloana'', is frequently applied to all species in the genus (and so ...

'' (Steud.) Hitchc. - Colombia, Peru * ''

Cortaderia speciosa ''Cortaderia'' is a genus of South American and Central American plants in the Poaceae grass family. Etymology The common name pampas grass, though strictly referring to ''C. selloana'', is frequently applied to all species in the genus (and so ...

'' (Nees) Stapf - Chile, Argentina, Bolivia * ''

Cortaderia vaginata ''Cortaderia'' is a genus of South American and Central American plants in the Poaceae grass family. Etymology The common name pampas grass, though strictly referring to ''C. selloana'', is frequently applied to all species in the genus (and som ...

'' Swallen - southern Brazil ; formerly included see ''

Austroderia ''Austroderia'' is a genus of five species of tall grasses native to New Zealand, commonly known as toetoe.

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 ...

Chusquea ''Chusquea'' is a genus of evergreen bamboos in the grass family. Most of them are native to mountain habitats in Latin America, from Mexico to southern Chile and Argentina. They are sometimes referred to as South American mountain bamboos. Unl ...

Phragmites ''Phragmites'' () is a genus of four species of large perennial reed grasses found in wetlands throughout temperate and tropical regions of the world. Taxonomy The World Checklist of Selected Plant Families, maintained by Kew Garden in London ...

References

External links

{{Taxonbar, from=Q941632 Danthonioideae Bunchgrasses of North America Bunchgrasses of South America Poaceae genera