Quaking_grass

<i>Briza</i>

Briza

Genus of grasses

For the municipality in the Czech Republic, see Bříza.
Not to be confused with Brisa.

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]

Quick Facts Quaking grasses, Scientific classification ...

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.

Species[3][11][12][13]
  • 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 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.

Folklore

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]

See also

References

  1. [1]
    lectotype designated by Hitchcock, Prop. Brit. Bot. 120 (1929)
  2. [2]
    Tropicos, Briza L.
  3. [3]
    Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families
  4. [4]
    Linnaeus, Carl von. 1753. Species Plantarum 1: 70-71 in Latin
  5. [5]
    Watson, L. and M. J. Dallwitz (2008). "The grass genera of the world: descriptions, illustrations, identification, and information retrieval; including synonyms, morphology, anatomy, physiology, phytochemistry, cytology, classification, pathogens, world and local distribution, and references". The Grass Genera of the World. Retrieved August 19, 2009.
  6. [6]
    Cabi, E. & M. Doğan. 2012. Poaceae. 690–756. In A. Güner, S. Aslan, T. Ekim, M. Vural & M. T. Babaç (eds.) Türkiye Bitkileri Listesi. Nezahat Gökyiğit Botanik Bahçesi ve Flora Araştırmaları Derneği Yayını, Istanbul
  7. [7]
    Longhi-Wagner, H. M. 1987. Gramineae. Tribo Poeae, in Fl. Ilust. Rio Grande do Sul. Boletim do Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul 41: 1–191
  8. [8]
    Longhi-Wagner, H. M., V. Bittich, M. das G. L. Wanderley & G. J. Shepherd. 2001. Poaceae. 1: 1–292. In M. G. L. Wanderly, G. J. Shepherd & A. M. Giulietti (eds.) Flora Fanerogâmica do Estado de São Paulo. Editora Hucitec, São Paulo
  9. [9]
    Benito Valdes; Hildemar Scholz (2006). "The Euro+Med treatment of Gramineae – a generic synopsis and some new names". Willdenowia. 36 (2): 657–669. doi:10.3372/wi.36.36202. JSTOR 3997741. S2CID 86239547.
  10. [10]
    Flora of China Vol. 22 Page 256 凌风草属 ling feng cao shu Briza Linnaeus, Sp. Pl. 1: 70. 1753.
  11. [11]
    Liliana Essi, Hilda Maria Longhi-Wagner & Tatiana Teixeira de Souza-Chies (2008). "Phylogenetic analysis of the Briza complex (Poaceae)". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 47 (3): 1018–1029. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2008.03.007. PMID 18439843.
  12. [12]
    "Briza". The Plant List. Retrieved December 3, 2014.
  13. [13]
    Altervista Flora Italiana, genere Briza includes photos and distribution maps for the three species B. maxima, B. media and B. minor.
  14. [14]
    Ashley, Leonard R. N. (September 2011). The Complete Book of Devils and Demons. Skyhorse Publishing Inc. ISBN 978-1-61608-333-5.


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