Kingdom Plantae Family Poaceae Scientific name Briza Rank Genus | Order Poales Subfamily Pooideae Higher classification Grasses | |
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Lower classifications Briza media, Briza maxima, Briza minor | ||
Briza media plants in thirty
Briza is a genus of annual and perennial plants in the grass family, native to northern temperate regions of Eurasia, North Africa, and certain islands in the Atlantic.
The group is generally referred to as the quaking grasses because the flowers and seedheads shake on their stalks in the slightest breeze. Some of its members are grown as ornamental plants.
Briza species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including Coleophora lixella.
- Briza humilis M.Bieb. - from Albania to Iran
- Briza marcowiczii Woronow - Turkey, Caucasus
- Briza maxima L. - Mediterranean, Azores, Madeira, Canary Islands; naturalized in parts of Asia, Africa, Australia, the Americas, and certain oceanic islands
- Briza media L. - Europe, Asia, North Africa, Azores, Canary Islands; naturalized in New Zealand and parts of North America
- Briza minor L. - from Azores + Canary Islands to Iran; naturalized in parts of Asia, Africa, Australia, the Americas, and certain oceanic islands
over 100 species now considered as better suited to other genera: Agrostis Airopsis Chascolytrum Desmazeria Desmostachya Distichlis Eragrostis Glyceria Halopyrum Neesiochloa Poa Tribolium Trisetum Uniola
References
Briza Wikipedia(Text) CC BY-SA