Nature does not cease to amaze us again and again. There are glades on the planet, in the vast grass of which a person feels like a midget. What is the highest grass in the world? Read more about this below.
Grass concept
Botanists distinguish 3 main groups of plants:
- trees - plants are characterized by the presence of one high tree trunk, from which branches extend,
- shrubs - no main trunk. Instead, several equivalent thin wood stems are formed,
- herbs - instead of the trunk they have soft stems, which die annually. They are divided, depending on the duration of the full life cycle (vegetation period and fruiting), into one-, two- and perennial.
Diversity in nature
Several hundred thousand of the most diverse herbs grow on Earth: burdock, nettle, aster, ledum, cornflower, oregano, clover, hemp, lemon balm, plantain and celandine ... Everything is impossible to list. A person actively uses them in everyday life - consumes food, prepares livestock for fodder, prepares medicinal potions, obtains dyes, and makes fabrics.
Nature gave us very unusual herbs:
- the chemical composition of valerian varies depending on the place of growth;
- rhubarb grass makes a sound very similar to crying when it is torn off;
- wood lice (the name of herbs sometimes speaks for itself) - it is always wet to the touch, and where it grows, there will never be a drought;
- a grass placoon at dawn or before the rain “cries” - drops, similar to tears, flow down its leaves and stems;
- duckweed is an amazing grass without roots, stem and leaves, and its flower is difficult to distinguish with the naked eye;
- St. John's wort, and not ginseng, is considered the most useful medicinal herb, it is called the "cure for 100 diseases."
And what is the highest grass in the world?
Amazing grove
Amazing forests are often found in the humid tropics - the slender rows of light stalks of straw that rise tens of meters above the ground resemble the motionless scenery of the theatrical stages. The trunks are standing in a wall - bare and smooth, only their tops are densely decorated with evergreen large leaves. Here silence and a slight twilight reign. What kind of exotic trees? The most amazing thing is that these are not trees at all! This is tall green grass! The most unusual grass in the world. The tallest and fastest growing grass on the planet. Analogues of this plant do not exist.
Walking among the slender giant trunks, it is hard to believe that you are just wandering through a clearing overgrown with thick grass ... A marvelous plant is called bamboo.
Plant description
Botanists know almost 130 species of bamboo. The world's tallest grass belongs to the cereal family. His homeland is South, Southeast and East Asia, later it was brought to the African continent and to South America. It is believed that this happened during the time of James Cook. Types of bamboo are significantly different. In some, the trunk is thin and elastic, while in others, on the contrary, it is thick, rough, but very durable. Dwarf bamboo grows up to 2.5 meters, while the giant stretches up to 40 meters in height. As a rule, the stalk consists of knees 25-40 cm long.
The chemical composition as a whole is the same for all species: 100 g of a plant contains on average 90 g of water, 2 g of protein, 5 g of fat, dietary fiber - 1 g, only 0.1 g of healthy carbohydrates, 25 mg of calcium, 30 mg of phosphorus , 1 mg of iron.
Bamboo loves a hot, humid climate in which it grows large, bright green and succulent leaves. In a temperate climate, where there is less moisture and lower temperatures, the plant also survives, however, it becomes thinner, turns yellow and can discard foliage.
Noteworthy features of the miracle plant
Bamboo is a record holder in many ways:
- It is the fastest growing plant on Earth. Its growth rate is up to 40 cm per day. If you look closely at the stem, you can see how it grows. The plant reaches its maximum height in 1-1.5 months after the emergence of a sprout from the ground, in the future, bamboo only throws rare lateral stems with leaves. No other plant on the planet has such an amazing ability.
- The entire population blooms simultaneously once every several decades. After flowering, the aerial part of the bamboo grove dies, but the roots remain alive. From the roots and seeds that fell to the ground in 5-7 years, a new "meadow" grows. Some species bloom once every 100 years. The Chinese believe that those who are lucky enough to see its flowering will be lucky until the end of their days.
- Bamboo is one of the most hypoallergenic plants.
Application
This world's tallest grass is a quality building material. In dried form it is used to create gutters, water pipes.
Oriental peoples make furniture and musical instruments from bamboo (most often flutes). Also, stems - hollow strong straws - are used for the manufacture of cases, dishes. It is believed that the water stored in bamboo vessels becomes healing.
From it the natives make a primitive weapon - arrows, bows, spears. Used in the construction of boats and ships, bridges. From the split stalks of bamboo weave mats, baskets, make pipes, blinds and even sails. The Chinese make high-quality paper out of bamboo leaves.
Young shoots are used for food, fresh drinks are prepared from them, and cattle are fed with leaves. Often planted as a hedge, which simultaneously performs protective and decorative functions.
In many Asian countries, the world's tallest grass is used as a medicinal plant. Its leaves treat measles, sexually transmitted diseases.
However, one must be careful with the plant, since the shoots of ordinary bamboo contain deadly poison - a cyanogenic glycoside, 50 mg of which kill a person. There were cases of severe poisoning with bamboo leaves of domestic animals, horses were often sick.
Cultural significance
Bamboo is an herb attributed to many magical properties. The Chinese believe that the plant gives longevity, In India it is a symbol of true friendship, and the Filipinos believe that bamboo on the site will bring joy to the house. Japan took him for a symbol of purity and spotlessness of the heart. Although there are peoples who consider the flowering of bamboo to be a bad sign. This, in their opinion, portends a famine.
African natives revere bamboo for its strength and inflexibility. The best gift for newlyweds are light, durable and elegant bamboo products - furniture, dishes, jewelry.
Honorary Second Place
What is the name of tall grass, which in the ranking of giant plants is after bamboo? This is a banana. In third place is a variety of millet that grows on the island of Hindustan. And finally, an honorable fourth place in the ranking of "the highest grass in the world" is occupied by the green of the jungle, in which an elephant can easily hide.
Now you know the name of herbs that grow above 4-5 meters: they are all inhabitants of hot countries with a humid climate.