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sugarcane
Sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum).
plume grass
plant
Also known as: Erianthus
plume grass, (genus Saccharum), genus of about 20 species of grasses in the family Poaceae, native to warm regions of the Northern and Southern hemispheres. The genus comprises the sugarcanes (notably Saccharum officinarum) and several ornamental species, including Ravenna grass (S. ravennae).
Plume grasses are tall reedlike perennials and usually grow 1 to 3 metres (3.3 to 10 feet) tall. The thick jointed stems generally have a high sugar content and bear long straplike leaves. The flowers are borne in dense cylindrical plumelike panicles (flower clusters). Plume grasses readily hybridize with one another and are often cultivated from cuttings.
This article was most recently revised and updated by Melissa Petruzzello.
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