Turfgrass Terminology
What term describes a broad classification of turfgrass based on morphological characteristics?
Turfgrass species
On which type of grasses are hairs commonly found?
Warm-season grasses
What does vernation describe in turfgrasses?
How young grass leaves are arranged inside the shoot
What is the scientific name of Kentucky bluegrass?
Poa pratensis
What warm-season grass spreads aggressively by both stolons and rhizomes?
Common bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon)
What is a turfgrass cultivar?
A commercial release of a turfgrass species with improved qualities
Why are turfgrass species sometimes difficult to identify?
Because morphological and anatomical differences are small and not drastically different
What type of vernation shows leaves folded in a V-shape inside the shoot?
Folded vernation
Which cool-season grass is considered a winter annual grassy weed?
Annual bluegrass (Poa annua)
Which warm-season turfgrass is the most shade tolerant?
St. Augustinegrass (Stenotaphrum secondatum)
What is the difference between a turfgrass species and a turfgrass cultivar?
A species is a broad classification based on morphology; a cultivar is a selected or bred release with improved traits
Are small differences in grass species identification easy or challenging to identify?
Challenging but possible
What type of vernation shows leaves that are circular inside the shoot?
Rolled vernation
What identifying feature is common to bluegrasses like Kentucky, annual, and rough bluegrass?
Boat-shaped leaf tip
What turfgrass is the most salt tolerant of all turfgrasses?
Seashore paspalum (Paspalum vaginatum)
What term is used for a plant that completes its life cycle in one calendar year?
Annual
Which grass type will never have hair present?
Cool-season grasses
What growth structure allows grasses like Kentucky bluegrass to recover from injury?
Rhizomes
Which cool-season grass has shiny leaves and a glossy underside?
Perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne)
Which warm-season grass is native to the United States?
Buffalograss (Buchloe dactyloides / Bouteloua dactyloides)
What term describes plants that live three years or more and regrow from vegetative plant parts?
Perennial
Where are hairs often found on warm-season grasses?
Within the ligule area and sometimes on the leaves
What growth habit spreads grass using above-ground stems?
Stolons
Which cool-season turfgrass is the most heat and drought tolerant?
Tall fescue (Schedonorus arundinaceus)
Which warm-season grass is often considered a weed in most locations?
Kikuyugrass (Pennisetum clandestinum)