Loading AI tools
Genus of grasses From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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.[4][5][6][7][8][9]
| Quaking grasses | |
|---|---|
| |
| Briza maxima | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Monocots |
| Clade: | Commelinids |
| Order: | Poales |
| Family: | Poaceae |
| Subfamily: | Pooideae |
| Supertribe: | Poodae |
| Tribe: | Poeae |
| Subtribe: | Brizinae |
| Genus: | Briza L. |
| Type species | |
| Briza media | |
| Synonyms[3] | |
| |
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.[10]
Briza species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including Coleophora lixella.
Over 100 species formerly included in Briza are now placed in other genera, including Agrostis, Airopsis, Chascolytrum, Desmazeria, Desmostachya, Distichlis, Eragrostis, Glyceria, Halopyrum, Neesiochloa, Poa, Tribolium, Trisetum and Uniola.
In certain Scottish folklore, a patch of briza, dawdle, or quaking grass indicated the location's previous use in fairy dancing (similar to a fairy ring). The passerby who walks through the tainted grass was said to come down with an immediate drowsiness, worsening to the point of death. Through the action of cursing the victim, quaking grass is similar to hungry grass, both falling under the category of fairy grass.[14]
Seamless Wikipedia browsing. On steroids.
Every time you click a link to Wikipedia, Wiktionary or Wikiquote in your browser's search results, it will show the modern Wikiwand interface.
Wikiwand extension is a five stars, simple, with minimum permission required to keep your browsing private, safe and transparent.
