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Silvergrass, (genus Miscanthus), also spelled silver grass, genus of about 10 species of tall perennial grasses in the family Poaceae, native primarily to southeastern Asia. Eulalia, or Chinese silvergrass (Miscanthus sinensis), and several other species sometimes are grown as lawn or border ornamentals for their silvery or white plumelike flower clusters; the dried heads often are used in decoration. Giant miscanthus (M. ×giganteus) is a potential biofuel and biomass crop.
Silvergrasses are typically large reed or canelike grasses with long straplike leaves. The leaves of ornamental varieties often have yellow or white stripes or bands. The inflorescences feature fan-shaped branches, and the paired flower spikelets are characteristically surrounded by silky hairs. Several species spread vegetatively with rhizomes (underground stems).
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Perennial, any plant that persists for several years, usually with new herbaceous growth from a part that survives from season to season. Trees and shrubs are perennial, as are some herbaceous flowers and vegetative ground covers. Perennials have only a limited flowering period, but, with maintenance throughout the growing season,…
Poaceae, grass family of monocotyledonous flowering plants, a division of the order Poales. The Poaceae are the world’s single most important source of food. They rank among the top five families of flowering plants in terms of the number of species, but they are clearly the most…
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