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Herbaceous plants or herbs differ from others in that they do not have perennial aerial parts that could survive the unfavorable season. However, not the only sign, because. in the tropics, where there is no winter, they may have perennial aerial parts, which sometimes grow to impressive sizes.
Biologists call herbs plants that do not have lignified aerial parts. They are always juicy and meaty. They can be annual, biennial or perennial. The height can also be different, from a few millimeters to 35-45 m. The highest grasses belong to different species, but umbrella, cereals and aster are especially prone to gigantism. Let’s get started, perhaps.
Want to know which grass is the tallest in the world? We bring to your attention a list of 10 record-breaking herbaceous plants.
10 Sudanese sorghum, up to 3 m
Other names – Sudanese or Sudanese grass. This is a type of sorghum that belongs to cereals. It is an annual herbaceous plant, which is native to Africa, the Nile Valley.
But now it is grown almost all over the world, because. it is considered food. Up to 400 centners of green mass can be collected per hectare. Grows up to 0,5 – 3 m. Intensive growth begins 1,5 months after sowing Sudanese sorghum, daily it adds 5-10 cm. After mowing, it grows quickly, so you can carry out several mowings per season – up to 4-5, if the grass is constantly watered.
It is considered a valuable fodder crop, because. contains a lot of proteins and carbohydrates. In India and China, porridge is made from Sudanese, and cakes are baked from flour.
9. Erianthus equal, up to 3,5 m
Its other name is downy flower. At the end of summer, its silvery panicles can grow to 3 or 3,5 m, and remain in this form throughout the winter. It is used for landscape decoration, thanks to its impressive growth, powerful leaves and incredibly beautiful silvery panicles. There is no more beautiful decoration of the autumn and winter landscape.
In nature, it prefers rocky, fine-earth slopes, grows on the foothills, along canals and rivers. It can be found in Southern Europe, Asia, the Caucasus, Africa.
The local population uses the stems Erianthusa Ravenna to make mats, baskets, covers roofs with it, weaves ropes. It is also used to create dry bouquets and rough paper, because. stems contain up to 40% cellulose.
8. Miscanthus giant, up to 3,5 m
It belongs to the Cereal family. Miscanthus is a genus of perennial herbaceous plants with more than 40 species. One of the largest representatives of this family is Miscanthus giant. It also has another name –american bulrush».
It grows to gigantic proportions as it it has a special type of photosynthesis. It has dark green leaves, narrow, about 2-3 cm. In a cold climate, it does not bloom, but in a warmer climate, a panicle blooms at the end of summer, which is pink at first and then becomes silvery.
It is used to decorate lawns and decorative ponds, as well as to create dry floristic compositions.
7. Miscanthus profusely flowering, up to 4 m
Bushy cereal plant, whose homeland is Korea and Japan, where it grows in the wild. It has a thick rhizome, often protruding from the soil, from which erect stems with leaves grow. Usually they reach 2,5 m in height, but under favorable conditions they grow up to 4 m. If it is grown in areas where there is a cold winter, the aerial part dies off, but the next year it again stretches to its usual height.
In late summer, inflorescences are formed with grayish-brown small flowers, which are pollinated by wind. Panicles are covered with silvery hairs. It is used to decorate the landscape, planted among trees, near water bodies, to create hedges.
from stems Miscanthus profusely flowering paper is made, and the young leaves are fed to animals. The rhizomes are used by folk healers. The local population of Papua New Guinea uses them to create fences, to build houses, and also as torches.
6. Sunflower one year old, up to 5 m
A species of herbaceous plants that belongs to the Astrov family and the genus Sunflower. Its stem grows up to 5 m. It is erect, does not branch, and is covered with stiff hairs. Inside the stem, you can see an elastic, soft core. The leaves grow up to 40 cm, green, with pointed ends. Flowers – in large inflorescences-baskets, they reach 30-50 cm in diameter, they are painted either yellow or orange.
Sunflower annual grows in North America, where it was grown more than 2 thousand years ago. Now it is used to produce sunflower oil, and its seeds have become our favorite treat. Kozinaki, halva are made from them, added to confectionery.
5. Reed, up to 5 m
It belongs to the Cereal family. It has long rhizomes, the stem grows up to 5 m, it is strong, hollow inside. The inflorescence is a dense panicle. Meet the thickets cane can be along the banks and in river deltas, in countries with a temperate or warm climate. There is a lot of it in Ukraine, along the Dnieper and Danube rivers. The reed loves water. Can grow in water meadows or swamps. In nature, this is the food base of some wild animals.
People used reeds to make roofs. Mats and other products were woven from it, wind musical instruments were made. The rhizomes were eaten raw, boiled, and baked. But for a long time they should not be used for food, because. painful symptoms appear: sagging bellies grow back, people swell up, pain and heaviness appear.
4. papyrus, up to 5 m
Another common name for it is papyrus. Grows in Africa. It is very tall, stretches up to 4-5 m. At the end of each stem grows a bunch of thin stems of bright green color, the length of which is 10-30 cm. It blooms at the end of summer, then fruits similar to nuts appear.
It is a tropical plant that does not tolerate cold. In order for it to bloom and grow well, it needs sunlight. Papyrus papyrus prefers to grow in shallow lakes, swamps, along the banks of streams. The Egyptians used to make writing material from papyrus. But now it is an ornamental plant.
3. Peristoschetinnik purple, up to 7 m
Other name – elephant grass, it belongs to the Cereal family. In subtropical and tropical countries, it is used as a fodder crop. It got its name because of the appearance of the inflorescences, and comes from the words “feather” and “bristly”.
У Crimson bristles a powerful root system that can penetrate up to 4.5 m deep. The stems are very tall, grow up to 7 m, 2,5 cm in diameter. Sometimes a whole bush is formed, consisting of 20-200 stems. The inflorescence is a spike-shaped panicle, its length is from 7 to 30 cm.
Elephant grass loves light, moisture and warmth, prefers open places, but does not tolerate waterlogged soils. Its homeland is Africa, but it has spread to other countries. The stems are used to make hedges and light buildings, planted to protect the soil from erosion. Soups are prepared from young inflorescences.
2. Banana, up to 9 m
One of the oldest cultivated plants, which is native to the Malay Archipelago. Until now, it is grown in large quantities in tropical countries, then to be exported to other countries. The genus includes many species. All plants have a powerful root system, as well as a stem with 6-20 leaves. Its height is different, from 2 to 9 m and even higher, up to 12 m.
Often banana confused with wood. It blooms 8-10 months after active growth. Fruits appear only from female flowers, and berries appear with a thick leathery shell, the size and color of the fruit depends on the variety.
1. Giant bamboo, up to 45 m
The tallest grass belongs to the Cereal family, the Bamboo subfamily, in which there are 1200 species. Some of them, Dendrocalamus giganteus and Dendrocalamus sinicus grow up to 48 m.
Meet giant bamboo It is possible all over the world, but Asia is considered its homeland. After the bamboo blooms, the plant dies, and the green, full of life bamboo forests disappear, becoming like the aftermath of fires. This is especially difficult for pandas, for whom bamboo is a source of food. Fortunately, this does not happen so often, the interval is from 20 to 120 years.