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The dominant and characteristic plant type in grassland ecosystems
is grass!
Koeleria. Photo
from Konza Prairie Biological Station, Kansas State University.
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Grasses
are adapted to hot, dry areas: they have long, narrow leaves that
lose less water than larger leaves do and their root systems are
extensive and deep so that they can acquire water even during drought
conditions.
Most
grasses are in the family Poaceae and share the grass characteristics
of narrow, linear leaves. They often have inconspicuous flowers
and rhizomes or stolons (creeping roots or stems) and many have
silica throughout their tissue. Silica is what sand is mainly composed
of and it makes grass strong and hard to chew and digest. They are
very strong growers, accumulating a large amount of biomass each
growing season, and their seeds are dispersed by wind or animals.
Andropogon. Photo
from Konza Prairie Biological Station, Kansas State
University.
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Typically,
fifty percent of the plants in any grassland will be grasses,
making them the most common type of plant present. The other
fifty percent is made up of what are often collectively called
'forbs'. 'Forbs' are what many people think of as 'wildflowers',
such as coneflowers (e.g. Ratibida pinnata: Grey-headed
Coneflower), lupines (Lupinus perennis) and milkweed
(Asclepsias tuberosa). |
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term 'forb' is a shortened form of the word Euphorbiaceae,
which is a family of plants that includes some well-known
grassland species such as Euphorbia corollata (Showy
Spurge), however, many of the non-grass plants in grasslands
are not in the euphorbiaceae at all. |
While
not as linear as grasses, grassland 'forbs' still have a very upright
form in order to compete for sunlight. By growing close together.
this form allows grassland plants to support each other's tall,
narrow structures.
Grass
Species of Ontario Grasslands
| Species |
Common
Name |
| Andropogon
gerardii |
Big
Bluestem |
| Andropogon
virginicus |
Broom
Sedge |
| Bromus
kalmii |
Kalm's
Brome Grass |
| Elymus
canadensis |
Canada
Wild Rye |
| Panicum
oligosanthes |
Scribner's
Panic Grass |
| Panicum
virgatum |
Switchgrass |
| Schizachyrium
scoparius |
Little
Bluestem |
| Sorghastrum
nutans |
Indian
Grass |
| Spartina
pectinata |
Prairie
Cord Grass |
| Sporobolus
cryptandrus |
Sand
Dropseed |
| Stipa
avenacea |
Black
Oatgrass |
Grey-headed
Coneflowers. Photo courtesy of the Hamilton Conservation
Authority. |
A
Selection of Ontario Grassland Plant Species Other Than Grasses
| Species |
Common
Name |
| Asclepsias
tuberosa |
Milkweed/Pleurisy
Root |
| Euphorbia
corollata |
Showy
Spurge (Flowering Spurge) |
| Liatris
spicata |
Dense
Blazing Star |
| Lupinus
perennis |
Wild
Lupine |
| Monarda
fistulosa |
Wild
Bergamot |
| Ratibida
pinnata |
Grey-headed
Coneflower |
| Veronica
missurica |
Ironweed |
| Aster
novae-angliae |
New
England Aster |
| Aster
laevis |
Smooth
Aster |
Solidago
sp.
(e.g. S. canadensis) |
Goldenrod |
Wild Bergamot. Photo by Alan Ernst. |
Turk's
Cap Lily. Photo by John MacRea. |
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Goldenrod. |
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