Leersia
Encyclopedia
Leersia is a genus of true grasses
which includes species known generally as cutgrasses. There are about 17 species native to tropical
and warm temperate
areas of the Americas
and Eurasia
. The genus was named for the German botanist Johann Daniel Leers.
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...
which includes species known generally as cutgrasses. There are about 17 species native to tropical
Tropics
The tropics is a region of the Earth surrounding the Equator. It is limited in latitude by the Tropic of Cancer in the northern hemisphere at approximately N and the Tropic of Capricorn in the southern hemisphere at S; these latitudes correspond to the axial tilt of the Earth...
and warm temperate
Temperate
In geography, temperate or tepid latitudes of the globe lie between the tropics and the polar circles. The changes in these regions between summer and winter are generally relatively moderate, rather than extreme hot or cold...
areas of the Americas
Americas
The Americas, or America , are lands in the Western hemisphere, also known as the New World. In English, the plural form the Americas is often used to refer to the landmasses of North America and South America with their associated islands and regions, while the singular form America is primarily...
and Eurasia
Eurasia
Eurasia is a continent or supercontinent comprising the traditional continents of Europe and Asia ; covering about 52,990,000 km2 or about 10.6% of the Earth's surface located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres...
. The genus was named for the German botanist Johann Daniel Leers.
Selected species
- Leersia hexandra – Southern Cutgrass
- Leersia lenticularis – Catchfly Grass
- Leersia monandra – Bunch Cutgrass
- Leersia oryzoidesLeersia oryzoidesLeersia oryzoides is a species of grass known by the common name rice cutgrass. It is a widespread grass native to Europe, Asia, and North America and present in many other regions, such as Australia, as an introduced species. This is a rhizomatous perennial grass growing to a maximum height...
– Rice Cutgrass - Leersia virginicaLeersia virginicaLeersia virginica, commonly known as whitegrass, white cutgrass, or Virginian cutgrass, is a perennial grass that is native to eastern North America, typically found in partially shaded low-lying wet areas....
– Whitegrass