Saccharum ravennae
Encyclopedia
Saccharum ravennae, with the common name Ravennagrass and locally known as ekra, is a species of grass
in genus the Saccharum
, the sugarcane genus. It is native to southern Europe and western Asia, and is known in North America
as an introduced species
, where it is sometimes an invasive
and troublesome noxious weed.
in garden
s, and for stabilizing soil to prevent erosion
.
and Glen Canyon National Recreation Area
. It grows in moist and wet habitat types, such as marsh
es and riverbanks.
This perennial grass grows in large, dense clumps from a network of rhizome
s. It produces erect stems which can reach four meters in height. The serrated leaves are up to a meter long. The inflorescence
is a plume-like panicle of spikelets covered in white or pale-colored silky hairs.
Poaceae
The Poaceae is a large and nearly ubiquitous family of flowering plants. Members of this family are commonly called grasses, although the term "grass" is also applied to plants that are not in the Poaceae lineage, including the rushes and sedges...
in genus the Saccharum
Sugarcane
Sugarcane refers to any of six to 37 species of tall perennial grasses of the genus Saccharum . Native to the warm temperate to tropical regions of South Asia, they have stout, jointed, fibrous stalks that are rich in sugar, and measure two to six metres tall...
, the sugarcane genus. It is native to southern Europe and western Asia, and is known in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
as an introduced species
Introduced species
An introduced species — or neozoon, alien, exotic, non-indigenous, or non-native species, or simply an introduction, is a species living outside its indigenous or native distributional range, and has arrived in an ecosystem or plant community by human activity, either deliberate or accidental...
, where it is sometimes an invasive
Invasive species
"Invasive species", or invasive exotics, is a nomenclature term and categorization phrase used for flora and fauna, and for specific restoration-preservation processes in native habitats, with several definitions....
and troublesome noxious weed.
Uses
Ravennagrass is a large, aggressive grass that has been sold in nurseries for use as an ornamental grassOrnamental grass
Ornamental grasses are grasses grown as ornamental plants. They have become increasingly popular in gardens in recent years.-Classifications:...
in garden
Garden
A garden is a planned space, usually outdoors, set aside for the display, cultivation, and enjoyment of plants and other forms of nature. The garden can incorporate both natural and man-made materials. The most common form today is known as a residential garden, but the term garden has...
s, and for stabilizing soil to prevent erosion
Erosion
Erosion is when materials are removed from the surface and changed into something else. It only works by hydraulic actions and transport of solids in the natural environment, and leads to the deposition of these materials elsewhere...
.
Invasive species
Saccharum ravennae is now established as an invasive species in several parts of North America, including CaliforniaCalifornia
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
and Glen Canyon National Recreation Area
Glen Canyon
Glen Canyon is a canyon that is located in southeastern and south central Utah and northwestern Arizona within the Vermilion Cliffs area. It was carved by the Colorado River....
. It grows in moist and wet habitat types, such as marsh
Marsh
In geography, a marsh, or morass, is a type of wetland that is subject to frequent or continuous flood. Typically the water is shallow and features grasses, rushes, reeds, typhas, sedges, other herbaceous plants, and moss....
es and riverbanks.
This perennial grass grows in large, dense clumps from a network of rhizome
Rhizome
In botany and dendrology, a rhizome is a characteristically horizontal stem of a plant that is usually found underground, often sending out roots and shoots from its nodes...
s. It produces erect stems which can reach four meters in height. The serrated leaves are up to a meter long. The inflorescence
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. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified...
is a plume-like panicle of spikelets covered in white or pale-colored silky hairs.