Editing Poaceae (section)

== Uses ==
Grasses are, in human terms, perhaps the most economically important plant family.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Smith|first=James P.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=G6wwDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA10|title=Field Guide to Grasses of California|date=2014-09-12|publisher=Univ of California Press|isbn=978-0-520-27568-3|language=en}}</ref> Their economic importance stems from several areas, including food production, industry, and [[lawn]]s. They have been grown as food for [[domesticated animals]] for up to 6,000 years{{citation needed|reason=where did this number come from?|date=March 2022}} and the grains of grasses such as [[wheat]], rice, maize (corn) and [[barley]] have been the most important human [[food crop]]s. Grasses are also used in the manufacture of [[thatching|thatch]], [[paper]], [[fuel]], [[clothing]], [[Building insulation|insulation]], timber for [[fence|fencing]], [[furniture]], [[scaffolding]] and [[construction]] materials, floor [[matting]], [[#Sports turf|sports turf]] and [[basket weaving|baskets]].

{{wide image|GrazingCowsPasture.jpg|1500px|Grazing cattle on a pasture near [[Hradec nad Moravicí]] in [[Czech Silesia]].}}

=== Food production ===
{{see also|Domestication of wheat}}

Of all crops grown, 70% are grasses.<ref name="Time Life Books-1985">{{cite book|title=Grasslands and Tundra|publisher=Time Life Books|year=1985|series=Planet Earth|editor=George Constable|isbn=978-0-8094-4520-2|page=[https://archive.org/details/grasslandstundra00time/page/19 19]|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/grasslandstundra00time/page/19}}</ref> Agricultural grasses grown for their edible seeds are called ''[[cereal]]s'' or ''[[grain]]s'' (although the latter term, when used agriculturally, refers to both cereals and similar seeds of other plant species, such as [[buckwheat]] and [[legumes]]). Three cereals&mdash;rice, wheat, and maize (corn)&mdash;provide more than half of all calories consumed by humans.<ref name="Raven-1995">{{cite book|title=Understanding Biology|edition=3rd|first1=P.H. |last1=Raven |first2=G.B. |last2=Johnson |page=536|isbn=978-0-697-22213-8|year=1995|editor=Carol J. Mills|publisher=WM C. Brown}}</ref> Cereals constitute the major source of [[carbohydrate]]s for humans and perhaps the major source of protein; these include rice (in [[South Asia|southern]] and [[eastern Asia]]), maize (in [[Central America|Central]] and [[South America]]), and wheat and barley (in [[Europe]], [[northern Asia]] and the [[Americas]]).

[[Sugarcane]] is the major source of [[sugar]] production. Additional food uses of sugarcane include [[sprouting|sprouted grain]], [[Shoot (botany)|shoot]]s, and [[rhizome]]s, and in drink they include [[sugarcane juice]] and [[plant milk]], as well as [[rum]], [[beer]], [[whisky]], and [[Żubrówka|vodka]].

[[Bamboo shoot]]s are used in numerous Asian dishes and broths, and are available in supermarkets in various sliced forms, in both fresh, fermented and canned versions.

[[Lemongrass]] is a grass used as a culinary herb for its citrus-like flavor and scent.

Many species of grass are grown as [[pasture]] for foraging or as [[fodder]] for prescribed [[livestock]] feeds, particularly in the case of [[cattle]], [[horse]]s, and [[sheep]]. Such grasses may be cut and stored for later feeding, especially for the winter, in the form of bales of [[hay]] or [[straw]], or in silos as [[silage]]. Straw (and sometimes hay) may also be used as bedding for animals.

An example of a [[sod]]-forming perennial grass used in agriculture is ''[[Thinopyrum intermedium]]''.

=== Industry ===
Grasses are used as raw material for a multitude of purposes, including construction and in the composition of building materials such as [[cob (material)|cob]], for insulation, in the manufacture of paper and board such as [[oriented structural straw board]]. Grass [[fiber]] can be used for making [[Esparto#Esparto paper|paper]], [[biofuel]] production,<ref>{{Cite book|last1=Gupta|first1=Ram B.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XMPp_698ot4C&pg=PA61|title=Gasoline, Diesel, and Ethanol Biofuels from Grasses and Plants|last2=Demirbas|first2=Ayhan|date=2010-04-19|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-1-139-48906-5|language=en}}</ref> nonwoven fabrics, and as replacement for glass fibers used in reinforced plastics.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gimlCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA202|title=Encyclopedia of Applied Plant Sciences|date=2016-08-27|publisher=Academic Press|isbn=978-0-12-394808-3|language=en}}</ref> [[Bamboo scaffolding]] is able to withstand typhoon-force winds that would break steel scaffolding.<ref name="TimeLifeBooks-1985-2">{{cite book|title=Grasslands and Tundra|publisher=Time Life Books|year=1985|series=Planet Earth|editor=George Constable|isbn=978-0-8094-4520-2|page=[https://archive.org/details/grasslandstundra00time/page/20 20]|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/grasslandstundra00time/page/20}}</ref> Larger bamboos and ''[[Arundo donax]]'' have stout culms that can be used in a manner similar to timber, ''Arundo'' is used to make reeds for [[woodwind instrument]]s, and bamboo is used for innumerable implements.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Jacobs|first=Surrey W. L.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=w3YoAQAAIAAJ|title=Grasses of New South Wales|date=2008|publisher=Botany, University of New England|isbn=978-1-921208-22-5|language=en|page=165}}</ref>

''[[Phragmites|''Phragmites australis'']]'' (common reed) is important for [[thatching]] and wall construction of homes in Africa.<ref>{{Cite book|last1=Finlayson|first1=C. Max|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fsZOCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA36|title=Wetlands and Human Health|last2=Horwitz|first2=Pierre|last3=Weinstein|first3=Philip|date=2015-08-03|publisher=Springer|isbn=978-94-017-9609-5|language=en}}</ref> Grasses are used in [[water treatment]] systems,<ref>{{Cite book|last1=Boller|first1=Beat|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lMVfkHFjkZUC&pg=PA145|title=Fodder Crops and Amenity Grasses|last2=Posselt|first2=Ulrich K.|last3=Veronesi|first3=Fabio|date=2010-01-14|publisher=Springer Science & Business Media|isbn=978-1-4419-0760-8|language=en}}</ref> in [[wetland conservation]] and [[land reclamation]], and used to lessen the erosional impact of urban storm water runoff.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Naugle|first=David E.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Wc4KAQAAQBAJ&pg=PA154|title=Energy Development and Wildlife Conservation in Western North America|date=2012-06-22|publisher=Island Press|isbn=978-1-61091-022-4|language=en}}</ref>

=== Palaeoecological reconstructions ===
[[File:FossilPoaceaePollen.tif|thumb|Processed, fossilised pollen from the family Poaceae. Species unknown]]

[[Pollen]] morphology, particularly in the ''Poaceae'' family, is key to figuring out their evolutionary relationships and [[Paleoecology|how environments have changed over time]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Edwards |first1=Erika J. |last2=Osborne |first2=Colin P. |last3=Strömberg |first3=Caroline A. E. |last4=Smith |first4=Stephen A. |last5=C Grasses Consortium |last6=Bond |first6=William J. |last7=Christin |first7=Pascal-Antoine |last8=Cousins |first8=Asaph B. |last9=Duvall |first9=Melvin R. |last10=Fox |first10=David L. |last11=Freckleton |first11=Robert P. |last12=Ghannoum |first12=Oula |last13=Hartwell |first13=James |last14=Huang |first14=Yongsong |last15=Janis |first15=Christine M. |date=2010-04-30 |title=The Origins of C 4 Grasslands: Integrating Evolutionary and Ecosystem Science |url=https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.1177216 |journal=Science |language=en |volume=328 |issue=5978 |pages=587–591 |doi=10.1126/science.1177216 |pmid=20431008 |s2cid=17934192 |issn=0036-8075}}</ref> Grass pollen grains, however, often look the same, making it hard to use them for detailed climate or environmental reconstructions.<ref name="Wei-2023">{{Cite journal |last1=Wei |first1=Caixia |last2=Jardine |first2=Phillip E. |last3=Gosling |first3=William D. |last4=Hoorn |first4=Carina |date=2023-01-01 |title=Is Poaceae pollen size a useful proxy in palaeoecological studies? New insights from a Poaceae pollen morphological study in the Amazon |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0034666722001889 |journal=Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology |volume=308 |pages=104790 |doi=10.1016/j.revpalbo.2022.104790 |bibcode=2023RPaPa.30804790W |issn=0034-6667}}</ref><ref name="Scoble-2024">{{Cite journal |last1=Scoble |first1=Laura |last2=Ussher |first2=Simon J. |last3=Fitzsimons |first3=Mark F. |last4=Ansell |first4=Lauren |last5=Craven |first5=Matthew |last6=Fyfe |first6=Ralph M. |date=2024-02-01 |title=Optimisation of classification methods to differentiate morphologically-similar pollen grains from FT-IR spectra |journal=Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology |volume=321 |pages=105041 |doi=10.1016/j.revpalbo.2023.105041 |bibcode=2024RPaPa.32105041S |issn=0034-6667|doi-access=free }}</ref> Grass pollen has a [[Monocotyledon reproduction|single pore]] and can vary a lot in size, from about 20 to over 100 micrometers, and this size difference has been looked into for clues about past habitats, to tell apart [[domesticated]] grasses from wild ones,<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Salgado-Labouriau |first1=M. L. |last2=Rinaldi |first2=M. |date=January 1990 |title=Palynology of gramineae of the venezuelan mountains |url=http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00173139009427742 |journal=Grana |language=en |volume=29 |issue=2 |pages=119–128 |doi=10.1080/00173139009427742 |bibcode=1990Grana..29..119S |issn=0017-3134}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Beug |first=Hans-Jürgen |title=Leitfaden der Pollenbestimmung für Mitteleuropa und angrenzende Gebiete |url=https://cir.nii.ac.jp/crid/1130000798237605760 |journal=(No Title)|date=1961 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Holst |first1=Irene |last2=Moreno |first2=J. Enrique |last3=Piperno |first3=Dolores R. |date=2007-11-06 |title=Identification of teosinte, maize, and Tripsacum in Mesoamerica by using pollen, starch grains, and phytoliths |journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences |language=en |volume=104 |issue=45 |pages=17608–17613 |doi=10.1073/pnas.0708736104 |doi-access=free |issn=0027-8424 |pmc=2077075 |pmid=17978176|bibcode=2007PNAS..10417608H }}</ref> and to indicate various biological features like how they perform [[photosynthesis]],<ref name="Jan-2015">{{Cite journal |last1=Jan |first1=Farooq |last2=Schüler |first2=Lisa |last3=Behling |first3=Hermann |date=2015-04-03 |title=Trends of pollen grain size variation in C3 and C4 Poaceae species using pollen morphology for future assessment of grassland ecosystem dynamics |url=http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00173134.2014.966754 |journal=Grana |language=en |volume=54 |issue=2 |pages=129–145 |doi=10.1080/00173134.2014.966754 |bibcode=2015Grana..54..129J |s2cid=84086503 |issn=0017-3134}}</ref> their breeding systems,<ref name="Jan-2015"/><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Katsiotis |first1=A. |last2=Hanneman |first2=R. E. |last3=Forsberg |first3=R. A. |date=1995-11-01 |title=Endosperm Balance Number and the polar-nuclei activation hypotheses for endosperm development in interspecific crosses of Solanaceae and Gramineae, respectively |url=https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00223891 |journal=Theoretical and Applied Genetics |language=en |volume=91 |issue=6 |pages=848–855 |doi=10.1007/BF00223891 |pmid=24169968 |s2cid=21178634 |issn=1432-2242}}</ref> and genetic complexity.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Radaeski |first1=Jefferson Nunes |last2=Cunha |first2=Djulhan Jacques da |last3=Bauermann |first3=Soraia Girardi |date=2020-07-02 |title=Understanding ecosystem dynamics of herbaceous grasslands (Campos) and arboreal forests (Bambuseae) using Poaceae pollen grains in the Coastal Plains Holocene sediments of Southern Brazil |url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/01916122.2019.1631225 |journal=Palynology |language=en |volume=44 |issue=3 |pages=433–440 |doi=10.1080/01916122.2019.1631225 |bibcode=2020Paly...44..433R |s2cid=199104436 |issn=0191-6122}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Radaeski |first1=Jefferson N. |last2=Bauermann |first2=Soraia G. |last3=Pereira |first3=Antonio B. |date=2016 |title=Poaceae Pollen from Southern Brazil: Distinguishing Grasslands (Campos) from Forests by Analyzing a Diverse Range of Poaceae Species |journal=Frontiers in Plant Science |volume=7 |page=1833 |doi=10.3389/fpls.2016.01833 |doi-access=free |pmid=27999585 |pmc=5138494 |bibcode=2016FrPS....7.1833R |issn=1664-462X}}</ref><ref name="Wei-2023"/> Yet, there's ongoing debate about how effective pollen size is for piecing together historical landscapes and weather patterns, considering other factors such as genetic material amount might also affect pollen size.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Knight |first1=Charles A. |last2=Clancy |first2=Rachel B. |last3=Götzenberger |first3=Lars |last4=Dann |first4=Leighton |last5=Beaulieu |first5=Jeremy M. |date=2010-06-09 |title=On the Relationship between Pollen Size and Genome Size |journal=Journal of Botany |language=en |volume=2010 |pages=1–7 |doi=10.1155/2010/612017 |doi-access=free |issn=2090-0120}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=den Nijs |first1=Joannes Cornelius Maria |last2=Hooghiemstra |first2=H. |last3=Schalk |first3=P.H. |date=1980 |title=Biosystematic studies of the Rumex acetosella complex (Polygonaceae). IV. Pollen morphology and the possibilities of identification of cytotypes in pollen analysis |url=https://scholar.google.com/scholar_lookup?title=Biosystematic%20studies%20of%20the%20Rumex%20acetosella%20complex%20.%20IV.%20Pollen%20morphology%20and%20the%20possibilities%20of%20identification%20of%20cytotypes%20in%20pollen%20analysis&publication_year=1980&author=J.C.M.%20Den%20Nijs&author=H.%20Hooghiemstra&author=P.H.%20Schalk#d=gs_cit&t=1707502809399&u=%2Fscholar%3Fq%3Dinfo%3AL5RHCvs8e6MJ%3Ascholar.google.com%2F%26output%3Dcite%26scirp%3D0%26hl%3Den |journal=Phyton: Annales Rei Botanicae}}</ref><ref name="Wei-2023"/> Despite these challenges, new techniques in [[Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy|Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy]] (FT-IR) and improved statistical methods are now helping to better identify these similar-looking pollen types.<ref name="Scoble-2024"/>

=== Lawn and ornamental use ===
{{Main|Lawn|Ornamental grass}}
[[File:South Lawn.jpg|thumb|A lawn in front of a building]]
Grasses are the primary plants used in lawns, which themselves derive from grazed [[grassland]]s in Europe.{{citation needed|date=March 2016}} They also provide an important means of erosion control (e.g. along roadsides), especially on sloping land.{{citation needed|date=March 2016}} Grass lawns are an important covering of playing surfaces in many sports, including [[football (soccer)]], [[American football]], [[tennis]], [[golf]], [[cricket]], [[softball]] and [[baseball]].

Ornamental grasses, such as [[perennial]] [[bunch grass]]es, are used in many styles of [[garden design]] for their foliage, inflorescences and seed heads. They are often used in [[natural landscaping]], [[xeriscaping]] and slope and beach stabilization in contemporary landscaping, [[wildlife garden]]ing, and [[native plant gardening]].{{citation needed|date=March 2016}} They are used as screens and hedges.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Holmes|first=Roger|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-ahtILDf2C8C&pg=PA1|title=Taylor's Guide to Ornamental Grasses|date=1997|publisher=Houghton Mifflin Harcourt|isbn=978-0-395-79761-7|language=en}}</ref>

=== Sports turf ===
{{see also|Turf management|Sand-based athletic fields}}
Grass playing fields, courses and pitches are the traditional playing surfaces for many [[sports]], including [[American football]], [[association football]], [[baseball]], [[cricket]], [[golf]], and [[Rugby football|rugby]]. Grass surfaces are also sometimes used for [[horse racing]] and [[tennis]]. Type of maintenance and species of grass used may be important factors for some sports, less critical for others. In some sports facilities, including indoor domes and other places where maintenance of a grass field would be difficult, grass may be replaced with [[artificial turf]], a synthetic grass-like substitute.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://usatoday30.usatoday.com/sports/football/nfl/patriots/2006-11-14-testaverde-turf_x.htm|title=Pats sign Testaverde; Gillette Stadium's grass field replaced with Field Turf - USATODAY.com|website=usatoday30.usatoday.com|access-date=2019-12-10|archive-date=2021-03-08|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210308132244/https://usatoday30.usatoday.com/sports/football/nfl/patriots/2006-11-14-testaverde-turf_x.htm|url-status=live}}</ref>

==== Cricket ====
[[File:Australia vs India.jpg|thumb|The gray area is the [[cricket]] pitch currently in use. Parallel to it are other pitches in various states of preparation which could be used in other matches.]]
{{main|Cricket pitch#Preparation and maintenance of the playing area}}
In cricket, the pitch is the strip of carefully mowed and rolled grass where the bowler bowls. In the days leading up to the match it is repeatedly mowed and rolled to produce a very hard, flat surface for the ball to bounce off.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Tainton|first1=Neil|last2=van Deventer|first2=Pietr|title=Cricket pitches Principles and practice of pitch preparation|url=http://static.espncricinfo.com/db/ABOUT_CRICKET/PITCHES/PREP_OF_PITCHES.html#ANCHOR2|website=cricinfo|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170609100639/http://static.espncricinfo.com/db/ABOUT_CRICKET/PITCHES/PREP_OF_PITCHES.html#ANCHOR2|archive-date=2017-06-09}}</ref>

==== Golf ====
{{main|Golf course}}
Grass on golf courses is kept in three distinct conditions: that of the ''rough'', the ''fairway'', and the ''putting green''. Grass on the fairway is mown short and even, allowing the player to strike the ball cleanly. Playing from the rough is a disadvantage because the long grass may affect the flight of the ball. Grass on the putting green is the shortest and most even, ideally allowing the ball to roll smoothly over the surface. An entire industry revolves around the development and marketing of turf grass varieties.<ref>{{Cite book|last1=Stier|first1=John C.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UnnQDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA64|title=Turfgrass: Biology, Use, and Management|last2=Horgan|first2=Brian P.|last3=Bonos|first3=Stacy A.|date=2020-01-22|publisher=John Wiley & Sons|isbn=978-0-89118-613-7|language=en}}</ref>

==== Tennis ====
{{main|Grass court}}
In tennis, grass is grown on very hard-packed soil, and the bounce of a [[tennis ball]] may vary depending on the grass's health, how recently it has been mowed, and the wear and tear of recent play.{{citation needed|date=March 2016}} The surface is softer than [[hard courts]] and [[Clay court|clay]] (other tennis surfaces), so the ball bounces lower, and players must reach the ball faster resulting in a different style of play which may suit some players more than others.{{citation needed|date=March 2016}} Among the world's most prestigious court for grass tennis is Centre Court at [[Wimbledon, London]], which hosts the final of the annual [[Wimbledon Championships]] in England, one of the four [[Grand Slam (tennis)|Grand Slam]] tournaments.

=== Economically important grasses ===
{| cellspacing="24"
|- valign=top
|
;[[Grain|Grain crops]]
* [[Barley]]
* [[Maize]] (corn)
* [[Oat]]s
* [[Rice]]
* [[Rye]]
* [[Sorghum]]
* [[Wheat]]
* [[Millet]]
|
;Leaf and stem crops
* [[Bamboo]]
* [[Marram grass]]
* [[Poa|Meadow-grass]]
* [[Phragmites|Reeds]]
* [[Ryegrass]]
* [[Sugarcane]]
|
;[[Lawn|Lawn grasses]]
* [[Bahiagrass]]
* [[Agrostis|Bentgrass]]
* [[Cynodon|Bermudagrass]]
* [[Poa|Bluegrass]]
* [[Buffalograss]]
* [[Centipede grass]]
* [[Festuca|Fescue]]
* [[Ryegrass]]
* [[St. Augustine grass]]
* ''[[Zoysia]]''
|
;[[Ornamental grass]]es ([[Horticulture|Horticultural]])
* ''[[Calamagrostis]]'' spp.
* ''[[Cortaderia]]'' spp.
* ''[[Deschampsia]]'' spp.
* ''[[Festuca]]'' spp.
* ''[[Melica]]'' spp.
* ''[[Muhlenbergia]]'' spp.
* ''[[Stipa]]'' spp.
|
;[[Model organism]]s
* ''[[Brachypodium distachyon]]''
* Maize (corn)
* Rice
* Sorghum
* Wheat
|}

A number of grasses are invasive species that damage natural ecosystems, including forms of ''Phragmites australis'' which are native to Eurasia but has spread around the world.<ref>{{Cite book|last1=Tiner|first1=Ralph W.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BHwZBwAAQBAJ&pg=PA491|title=Remote Sensing of Wetlands: Applications and Advances|last2=Lang|first2=Megan W.|last3=Klemas|first3=Victor V.|date=2015-03-23|publisher=CRC Press|isbn=978-1-4822-3738-2|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last=Vymazal|first=Jan|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bgTZ-DQZ7CEC&pg=PA134|title=Water and Nutrient Management in Natural and Constructed Wetlands|date=2010-09-23|publisher=Springer Science & Business Media|isbn=978-90-481-9585-5|language=en}}</ref>