''Polypogon'' is a nearly

cosmopolitan Cosmopolitan may refer to: Food and drink * Cosmopolitan (cocktail), also known as a "Cosmo" History * Rootless cosmopolitan, a Soviet derogatory epithet during Joseph Stalin's anti-Semitic campaign of 1949–1953 Hotels and resorts * Cosmopoli ...

genus of plants in the

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 ...

, commonly known beard grass or rabbitsfoot grass.

Description

''Polypogon'' species vary in appearance; some are erect, while others drape over the ground in waves. Many have soft, fluffy

inflorescence An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Morphologically, it is the modified part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed o ...

s that look like

rabbit's foot In some cultures, the foot of a rabbit is carried as an amulet believed to bring good luck. This belief is held by individuals in a great number of places around the world, including Europe, China, Africa, and North and South America. In variatio ...

amulets. Some are

introduced species An introduced species, alien species, exotic species, adventive species, immigrant species, foreign species, non-indigenous species, or non-native species is a species living outside its native distributional range, but which has arrived there ...

established outside their native ranges. Some of those are considered

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 ...

and

noxious weed A noxious weed, harmful weed or injurious weed is a weed that has been designated by an agricultural or other governing authority as a plant that is injurious to agricultural or horticultural crops, natural habitats or ecosystems, or humans or liv ...

s, most notably ''

Polypogon monspeliensis ''Polypogon monspeliensis'', commonly known as annual beard-grass or annual rabbitsfoot grass, is a species of grass. It is native to southern Europe, but it can be found today throughout the world as an introduced species and sometimes a noxious ...

'', the annual beard grass. ; Species * ''

Polypogon × adscendens ''Polypogon'' is a nearly cosmopolitan genus of plants in the grass family, commonly known beard grass or rabbitsfoot grass. Description ''Polypogon'' species vary in appearance; some are erect, while others drape over the ground in waves. Ma ...

'' Guss. - Italy * ''

Polypogon australis ''Polypogon australis'' is a species of grass known by the common names Chilean beard grass and Chilean rabbitsfoot grass. It is native to Chile and Argentina. It is also known in parts of the western United States where it is an introduced speci ...

'' Brongn. -

Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...

incl

Juan Fernández Islands The Juan Fernández Islands ( es, Archipiélago Juan Fernández) are a sparsely inhabited series of islands in the South Pacific Ocean reliant on tourism and fishing. Situated off the coast of Chile, they are composed of three main volcanic i ...

* ''

Polypogon chilensis ''Polypogon'' is a nearly cosmopolitan genus of plants in the grass family, commonly known beard grass or rabbitsfoot grass. Description ''Polypogon'' species vary in appearance; some are erect, while others drape over the ground in waves. M ...

'' (Kunth) Pilg. -

incl

Paraguay Paraguay (; ), officially the Republic of Paraguay ( es, República del Paraguay, links=no; gn, Tavakuairetã Paraguái, links=si), is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to th ...

Uruguay Uruguay (; ), officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay ( es, República Oriental del Uruguay), is a country in South America. It shares borders with Argentina to its west and southwest and Brazil to its north and northeast; while bordering ...

Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = Seal (emblem), National seal , national_motto = "Fi ...

Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...

* ''

Polypogon elongatus ''Polypogon'' is a nearly cosmopolitan genus of plants in the grass family, commonly known beard grass or rabbitsfoot grass. Description ''Polypogon'' species vary in appearance; some are erect, while others drape over the ground in waves. M ...

'' Kunth - USA ( CA AZ CO TX), much of

Mesoamerica Mesoamerica is a historical region and cultural area in southern North America and most of Central America. It extends from approximately central Mexico through Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and northern Costa Rica. W ...

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 ...

* ''

Polypogon exasperatus ''Polypogon'' is a nearly cosmopolitan genus of plants in the grass family, commonly known beard grass or rabbitsfoot grass. Description ''Polypogon'' species vary in appearance; some are erect, while others drape over the ground in waves. Ma ...

'' (Trin.) Renvoize -

Ecuador Ecuador ( ; ; Quechua: ''Ikwayur''; Shuar: ''Ecuador'' or ''Ekuatur''), officially the Republic of Ecuador ( es, República del Ecuador, which literally translates as "Republic of the Equator"; Quechua: ''Ikwadur Ripuwlika''; Shuar: ''Eku ...

Bolivia , image_flag = Bandera de Bolivia (Estado).svg , flag_alt = Horizontal tricolor (red, yellow, and green from top to bottom) with the coat of arms of Bolivia in the center , flag_alt2 = 7 × 7 square p ...

Colombia Colombia (, ; ), officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country in South America with insular regions in North America—near Nicaragua's Caribbean coast—as well as in the Pacific Ocean. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Car ...

, southern

* ''

Polypogon fugax ''Polypogon'' is a nearly Cosmopolitan distribution, cosmopolitan genus of plants in the Poaceae, grass family, commonly known beard grass or rabbitsfoot grass. Description ''Polypogon'' species vary in appearance; some are erect, while other ...

'' Nees ex Steud. - China, Japan,

Korea Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half and South Korea (Republic o ...

, central + southwestern

Asia Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an area ...

Ethiopia Ethiopia, , om, Itiyoophiyaa, so, Itoobiya, ti, ኢትዮጵያ, Ítiyop'iya, aa, Itiyoppiya officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country in the Horn of Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the ...

Somalia Somalia, , Osmanya script: 𐒈𐒝𐒑𐒛𐒐𐒘𐒕𐒖; ar, الصومال, aṣ-Ṣūmāl officially the Federal Republic of SomaliaThe ''Federal Republic of Somalia'' is the country's name per Article 1 of thProvisional Constituti ...

* '' Polypogon griquensis'' (Stapf) Gibbs Russ. & Fish -

Namibia Namibia (, ), officially the Republic of Namibia, is a country in Southern Africa. Its western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Zambia and Angola to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and ea ...

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...

* ''

Polypogon hissaricus ''Polypogon'' is a nearly cosmopolitan genus of plants in the grass family, commonly known beard grass or rabbitsfoot grass. Description ''Polypogon'' species vary in appearance; some are erect, while others drape over the ground in waves. Ma ...

'' (Roshev.) Bor -

Xinjiang Xinjiang, SASM/GNC: ''Xinjang''; zh, c=, p=Xīnjiāng; formerly romanized as Sinkiang (, ), officially the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (XUAR), is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China (PRC), located in the northwest ...

Central Asia Central Asia, also known as Middle Asia, is a subregion, region of Asia that stretches from the Caspian Sea in the west to western China and Mongolia in the east, and from Afghanistan and Iran in the south to Russia in the north. It includes t ...

Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...

Himalayas The Himalayas, or Himalaya (; ; ), is a mountain range in Asia, separating the plains of the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau. The range has some of the planet's highest peaks, including the very highest, Mount Everest. Over 100 ...

* ''

Polypogon imberbis ''Polypogon'' is a nearly cosmopolitan genus of plants in the grass family, commonly known beard grass or rabbitsfoot grass. Description ''Polypogon'' species vary in appearance; some are erect, while others drape over the ground in waves. M ...

'' (Phil.) Johow -

incl

, southern

* ''

Polypogon interruptus ''Polypogon interruptus'', commonly known as ditch rabbitsfoot grass or ditch beard grass, is a species of grass Poaceae () or Gramineae () is a large and nearly ubiquitous family of monocotyledonous flowering plants commonly known as gras ...

'' Kunth - British Columbia, western United States ( WA to CA + TX), Mexico, south America * ''

Polypogon ivanovae ''Polypogon'' is a nearly cosmopolitan genus of plants in the grass family, commonly known beard grass or rabbitsfoot grass. Description ''Polypogon'' species vary in appearance; some are erect, while others drape over the ground in waves. Ma ...

'' Tzvelev -

* '' Polypogon linearis'' Trin. -

* ''

Polypogon maritimus ''Polypogon maritimus'' is a species of grass known by the common names Mediterranean beard grass and Mediterranean rabbitsfoot grass. It is native to the Mediterranean Basin. It is also known in other parts of the world, including Australia, New ...

'' Willd. - wetlands in Asia, Mediterranean * ''

Polypogon mollis ''Polypogon'' is a nearly cosmopolitan genus of plants in the grass family, commonly known beard grass or rabbitsfoot grass. Description ''Polypogon'' species vary in appearance; some are erect, while others drape over the ground in waves. Ma ...

'' (Thouars) C.E.Hubb. & E.W.Groves - Tristan da Cunha * ''

'' (L.) Desf. - Africa, Eurasia; widely naturalized in

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...

* '' Polypogon nilgiricus'' Kabeer & V.J.Nair - India * '' Polypogon parvulus'' Roseng., B.R.Arrill. & Izag. -

* ''

Polypogon pygmeus ''Polypogon'' is a nearly cosmopolitan genus of plants in the grass family, commonly known beard grass or rabbitsfoot grass. Description ''Polypogon'' species vary in appearance; some are erect, while others drape over the ground in waves. Ma ...

'' Tzvelev - Afghanistan * ''

Polypogon schimperianus ''Polypogon'' is a nearly cosmopolitan genus of plants in the grass family, commonly known beard grass or rabbitsfoot grass. Description ''Polypogon'' species vary in appearance; some are erect, while others drape over the ground in waves. Ma ...

'' (Hochst. ex Steud.) Cope - from

+ Saudi Arabia to Zimbabwe * '' Polypogon tenellus'' R.Br. - South Australia, Western Australia * '' Polypogon tenuis'' Brongn. -

Ascension Island Ascension Island is an isolated volcanic island, 7°56′ south of the Equator in the South Atlantic Ocean. It is about from the coast of Africa and from the coast of South America. It is governed as part of the British Overseas Territory o ...

, St. Helena,

, Cape Province * ''

Polypogon viridis ''Polypogon viridis'', the beardless rabbitsfoot grass, is a species of perennial grass in the family Poaceae Poaceae () or Gramineae () is a large and nearly ubiquitous family of monocotyledonous flowering plants commonly known as grasses. ...

'' (Gouan) Breistr. - central + southwestern

, Mediterranean ; Formerly included Numerous species now regarded as better suited to other genera: ''

Agrostis ''Agrostis'' (bent or bentgrass) is a large and very nearly cosmopolitan genus of plants in the grass family, found in nearly all the countries in the world. It has been bred as a GMO creeping bent grass. Species * '' Agrostis aequivalvi'' ...

Alopecurus

Brachypodium ''Brachypodium'' is a genus of plants in the grass family, widespread across much of Africa, Eurasia, and Latin America. The genus is classified in its own tribe Brachypodieae. Flimsy upright stems form tussocks. Flowers appear in compact s ...

Chaetium

Chaetopogon ''Chaetopogon'' is a genus of European plants in the Poaceae, grass family. ;Species The only known species is ''Chaetopogon fasciculatus'' native to Spain, Portugal, Italy, and Croatia. ;formerly included see ''Polypogon'' *''Chaetopogon cret ...

Gymnopogon ''Gymnopogon'' (skeletongrass) is a genus of American and Southeast Asian plants in the grass family. ; Species * '' Gymnopogon ambiguus'' (Michx.) Britton, Stern & Poggenb. - southeastern + south-central United States ( NM to NJ); Hispaniola ...

Muhlenbergia

Pentameris ''Pentameris'' is a genus of plants in the grass family, native primarily to Africa, with a few species in Yemen and on certain islands in the Indian Ocean. A significant number of species are endemic to South Africa.Linder, Hans Peter, et ...

Reynaudia ''Reynaudia'' is a genus of plants in the grass family. The only known species is ''Reynaudia filiformis'', native to the Greater Antilles (Cuba, Jamaica, and Hispaniola Hispaniola (, also ; es, La Española; Latin and french: Hispaniola; ...

Triniochloa''

Phytoremediation

''Plodinec, J. (2003)
Instrumentation Development, Measurement and Performance Evaluation of Environmental Technologies.
Quarterly Technical Progress Report No. 40395R20. Diagnostic Instrumentation and Analysis Laboratory. Mississippi State University. Starkville, MS. was investigated for its

mercury Mercury commonly refers to: * Mercury (planet), the nearest planet to the Sun * Mercury (element), a metallic chemical element with the symbol Hg * Mercury (mythology), a Roman god Mercury or The Mercury may also refer to: Companies * Merc ...

-accumulating properties as a phytoremediation plant. A U.S. NIS—National Institutes of Health funded study showed the plant to take up 110 times more mercury (HgS) than control plant species. This mercury hyperaccumulator sequesters the toxin in its roots in an insoluble form, reducing exposure to ecological receptors ''in situ'' and in erosion sediments.Expert Panel Report; Boeing SSFL site; pg. 20
. accessed 04.12.2012

References

External links

Jepson Manual Treatment — ''Polypogon''

USDA Plants Profile: ''Polypogon'' (rabbitsfoot grass)

''Polypogon''.
Grass Manual on the Web. {{Taxonbar, from=Q2701240 Poaceae genera Phytoremediation plants Grasses of Africa Grasses of Asia Grasses of Europe Grasses of North America Grasses of Oceania Grasses of South America