[lit-ideas] Re: Snow is white, and Grass is green (Collected Papers by Tarski)


On Nov 29, 2007, at 3:09 PM, Jlsperanza@xxxxxxx wrote:


Ritchie:
"Well no, because it's not growing all the time. Annual grasses-- native to America--re-seed. Perennial grasses go dormant in the winter and dry up in the summer. When the grasses are growing they may be green, but at other times other colors--brown, or seed color-- apply." 

--- What an interesting comment.
I hadn't thought about that. Would you give me the scientific (names) for at least one variety of _each_.
From chapter one of Virginia Scott Jenkins, "The Lawn, A History of an American Obsession,"
"When the first European colonists reached America, there were no perennial lawn of pasture grasses. The grasses of the East Coast were predominantly annuals such as broomstraw, common along the Atlantic coast north of Virginia; wild rye, dominant in the middle colonies and in parts of New England; and marsh grass. Native American village sites, which had been regularly cultivated, had extensive grassy areas around them, although the Indians kept no grazing stock. These grasses were annuals and had a much lower nutritive quality than those of northwest Europe. Many colonists commented on the inferiority of New England and Virginia grasses in comparison with pastures in England, and one New England settler wrote in disgust that 'it is so devoid of nutritive vertue, that our beasts grow lousy with feeding on it, and are much out of heart and liking. 

Broomstraw is Adropogon virginicus

http://www.flickr.com/photos/martinlabar/319418925/

Note the color!
Among the imported grasses were Bermuda grass (Cynodon dactylon, http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/bermuda_grass.htm ) which actually originated in Africa, and Poa pratensis, which is now known as Kentucky bluegrass. Jenkins says it is native to "Europe or the Middle East," which is hedging her bets...and grasses.
Here's another site on perennial grasses: http://iaa.umd.edu/umturf/ Weeds/Perennial%20Grass%20Weeds 

David Ritchie,
Portland, Oregon
(where much of America's turf is grown)

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