Florida gamagrass facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Florida gamagrass |
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|---|---|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | |
| (unranked): | |
| (unranked): | |
| (unranked): | |
| Order: | |
| Family: | |
| Subfamily: |
Panicoideae
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| Genus: |
Tripsacum
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| Species: |
T. floridanum
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| Binomial name | |
| Tripsacum floridanum Porter ex Vasey
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Florida gamagrass (scientific name: Tripsacum floridanum) is a unique type of grass. You can find it growing naturally in Cuba and in Florida in the United States.
Contents
What Florida Gamagrass Looks Like
This grass grows from a short, thick underground stem called a rhizome. Think of a rhizome like a root that can also grow new plants. It helps the grass spread.
- Stems: The stems of Florida gamagrass can grow up to one meter (about 3 feet) tall. Sometimes, a single stem grows, and sometimes, a small group of stems grows together.
- Leaves: Its leaves can be quite long, up to 60 centimeters (about 2 feet). They are also narrow, usually between 1 and 15 millimeters wide.
- Flowers: The plant's flower part, called an inflorescence, has both male and female flowers. These flowers are very small and are often called spikelets.
Where Florida Gamagrass Grows
Florida gamagrass likes to grow in pine forests. It often prefers areas that are a bit wet or moist. You might find it growing near a type of pine tree called slash pine.
Even though it's not super common everywhere, you can find a good amount of it in Everglades National Park. This park is a large wetland area in Florida.
Why Florida Gamagrass is Important
This grass is special for a few reasons.
Grown for Beauty
Sometimes, people grow Florida gamagrass as an ornamental plant. This means they plant it in gardens or yards because it looks nice.
Helping Corn Plants
Florida gamagrass is closely related to maize, which is also known as corn (Zea mays). Scientists have found a way to cross Florida gamagrass with corn plants.
- Stronger Corn: By mixing the genes of these two plants, they can create new types of corn. These new corn plants are stronger and can fight off a plant disease called northern leaf blight.
- Fighting Fungus: Northern leaf blight is caused by a fungus called Helminthosporium turcicum. This fungus can damage corn crops. Using Florida gamagrass helps make corn resistant to this harmful fungus. This is important for farmers and for making sure we have enough food.
