Grass
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[[Image:WIKI-Grass.jpg|thumb|right|Cut grass]]
'''''Grass''''' is the common word that generally describes [[monocotyledon]]ous green [[plant]]s. The family Gramineae ([[Poaceae]]) are the "true grasses" and include most plants grown as [[grain]]s, for [[pasture]], and for [[lawn]]s ([[turf]]). They include some more specialised crops such as [[lemongrass]], as well as many [[ornamental grass|ornamental]] plants. They also include plants often not recognized to be grasses, such as [[bamboo]]s or some species of [[weed]]s called [[Digitaria|crab grass]].
== Use of the term ==
The term ''grass'' is often used to describe related plants in the rush ([[Juncaceae]]) and sedge ([[Cyperaceae]]) families, that somewhat resemble grass. It may also be used to describe completely unrelated plants, sometimes of similar appearances to grass, with leaves rising vertically from the ground, and sometimes of dissimilar appearance. The term came about in the early 15th century, from the [[Old English]] [[wiktionary:græs|græs]], derived from the same root as "grow". A single piece of grass is called a blade.
== Importance ==
[[Image:Grass covered house in Iceland 1972.jpg|thumb|right|[[House]]s with [[grass roof]]s in [[Iceland]].]]
Grass-like plants are among the most versatile [[life form]]s. Plants having grass-like structures have existed for millions of years, providing fodder for [[Cretaceous]] [[dinosaur]]s, whose fossilized dung ([[coprolite]]) contains [[phytolith]]s of a variety of grasses that include the ancestors of [[rice]] and [[bamboo]].<ref>Piperno & Sues, 2005.</ref> Grasses have adapted to conditions in lush [[rain forest]]s, dry [[desert]]s, and cold mountain [[steppes]], and are now the most widespread plant type.
Plants of this type were always important to [[human]]s. They were cultivated as food for [[domesticated animals]] for up to 10,000 years. (See [[grass fed beef]].) They have been used for [[paper]]-making since at least 2400 BC. Now they provide the majority of [[food crop]]s, and have many other uses, such as feeding [[animal]]s, and for [[lawn]]s. There are many minor uses, and grasses are familiar to most human cultures.
In some places, particularly in [[suburb]]an areas in the [[United States]] and [[Canada]], the maintenance of a grass [[lawn]] is a sign of a homeowner's responsibility to the overall appearance of their neighborhood. Many municipalities and homeowner's associations have rules about this. Some require lawns to be maintained to certain specifications, sanctioning those who allow the grass to grow too long. In communities with [[drought]] problems, watering of lawns may be restricted to certain times of day or days of the week.
=== In sports ===
[[Image:Australia vs India.jpg|thumb|The yellow area is the pitch currently in use. Parallel to it are other pitches in various states of preparation which could be used in other matches.]]
Grass is also used in several contexts in [[sports]], most notably with sports played on fields such as [[football (soccer)|football]], [[cricket]], [[baseball]], and [[Rugby football|rugby]]. In some sports facilities, including indoor domes and places where maintenance of a grass field would be difficult, grass may be replaced with [[artificial turf]], a synthetic grass-like substitute. Sports such as cricket, [[golf]] and [[tennis]] are particularly dependent on the quality of the grass on which the sport is played.
A cricket pitch often starts with a thin cover of green blades, but over the course of a five-day match tends to dry out and harden. Even in one-day matches cricket pitches are often nearly bare earth covered only by a layer of dry yellow stalks. A green or moist pitch favours the bowler, as it varies the bounce of the ball and increases its movement. A hard, dry pitch gives a more predictable, higher bounce which favours the batsman. The nature of the outfield is also important, as grass may slow down a ball, causing it to stop before reaching a boundary or allowing a fielder more time to gather the ball. Laws 10 and 11 of cricket detail maintenance and protection of the pitch. Unlike [[test cricket]] and [[One Day International]], [[indoor cricket]] is played on an artificial surface.
In tennis, grass is grown on very hard-packed soil, and bounces may vary depending on the grass's health, how recently it has been mowed, and the wear and tear of recent play. The most famous grass tennis court in the world is Centre Court at [[Wimbledon Championships|Wimbledon]]. But tennis is usually played on [[clay]] courts, and only a few regular tennis tournaments are played on grass. The surface is softer than hard courts, so the ball bounces lower, and players must reach the ball faster. Grass courts are now rare as they must be watered and mowed often, and take longer to dry after rain than hard courts.
Golf, on the other hand, is usually played on grass, and is dependent on the maintenance of a very large area of well-cut grass. 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 short and even, allowing the player to cleanly strike the ball. Playing from the rough is a disadvantage because the grass is generally much longer, which may affect the flight of the ball. Grass on the putting green is the shortest and most even, ideally allowing the ball to slide smoothly over the surface. An entire industry revolves around the development and marketing of grasses for golf courses.
=== In fiction ===
Grass plays a central role in two important science fiction catastrophe novels from the 1940s and 1950s, [[Ward Moore]]'s ''[[Greener Than You Think]]'', in which the world is slowly taken over by unstoppable [[Bermuda Grass]], [[John Christopher]]'s ''[[The Death of Grass]]'', in which a plague that kills off all forms of grass threatens the survival of the human species.
==Gallery==
<gallery>
Image:Golf bunkers Filton.jpg|A sea of neatly cut grass surrounds the bunkers at [[Filton]] Golf Club, [[Bristol]].
Image:TallWildGrass.jpg|Tall grass growing wild at [[Lyme Park]]
Image:GrassOnStone.jpg|In some places, even small areas of grass are valuable. These steps were built to access grass for animal feed. Swiss-Italian region near Bignasco.
</gallery>
==Footnotes==
{{reflist}}
== References ==
* Chapman, G.P. and W.E. Peat. 1992. ''An Introduction to the Grasses''. CAB Internat., Oxon, UK.
* Cheplick, G.P. 1998. ''Population Biology of Grasses''. [[Cambridge University Press]], Cambridge.
* Milne, L. and M. Milne. 1967. ''Living Plants of the World''. [[Chaticleer Press]], N.Y.
* Soderstrom, T.R., K.W. Hilu, C.S. Campbell, and M.E. Barkworth, eds. 1987. ''Grass Systematics and Evolution''. [[Smithsonian Institution Press]], Washington, D.C.
* Went, Frits W. 1963. ''The Plants''. [[Time-Life Books]], N.Y.
== External links ==
{{wiktionary|grass}}
* [http://www.b-visible.co.uk/article/why_the_grass_is_green.html Why is the grass green?]
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