How do stolons help grasses spread across the ground?

In the context of the Poaceae family, stolons—also known as runners—are slender, horizontal stems that grow along the surface of the ground. They facilitate the spread of grasses by acting as a mechanism for vegetative reproduction.1234

As these stems extend horizontally, they possess specialized points called nodes. At these nodes, the stolons can develop roots and vertical (aerial) shoots, allowing the plant to establish new, independent plants at various intervals along the runner. This process enables grasses to effectively colonize and dominate new areas of ground through clonal growth.1243