Sedges have edges and rushes are round, grasses are hollow and rush all around
- author unknown

acorus -- A "grass-like" plant that is not a grass.

andropogon -- The genus Andropogon (family Poaceae) contains approximately 200 species of perennial, sometimes tufted grasses, distributed throughout the temperate and tropical zones. The coarse plants have flat or folded leaf blades, solid or pithy stems, and flower spikelets clustered at the stem tips or in the leaf axils. The stems are often hairy, sometimes reddish or greenish in appearance. Several species have underground stems.

Big bluestem (A. gerardii), often more than 2 metres (6 1/2 feet) tall, is the characteristic plant species of the North American tall-grass prairie. It is sometimes known as turkeyfoot, in reference to its forked flower cluster. Little bluestem (A. scoparius), 0.5 to 1.5 m tall, is found in drier prairie areas. Both species are good hay and pasture plants. Sand bluestem (A. hallii), with yellowish spikelets, grows on sand hills in the central and western United States. Broom sedge (A. virginicus) and bushy beard grass (A. glomeratus) are coarse grasses, unsuitable for forage, that grow in poor soils in eastern and southern North America. Silver beard grass (A. saccharoides), 0.6 to 1.3 m tall, has silvery white flower clusters 7 to 15 centimetres long; it is a forage grass in the southwestern United States.

arrhenatherum -- Approximately six species of tall grasses, native to temperate Europe and Asia, constitute the genus Arrhenatherum. Tall oat grass (A. elatius), which has been introduced into various countries as a pasture grass, grows wild in many areas, especially A. elatius variety bulbosum, commonly called onion couch for its bulblike basal stems.

calamagrostis -- (also refered to as bluejoint) is considered a reed Dried reed stems have been used for millennia as thatching and construction material, in basketry, for arrows and pens, and in musical instruments (see reed instruments). They also are harvested for their cellulose content.

carex -- The true sedges are a major component of the family Cyperaceae with over a thousand species. Most are natives to wet soil and are widely distributed throughout the world. The name Carex comes from the Greek kerio meaning to cut, refering to the minute saw-tooth edges on the leaves.

chasmanthium --

deschampsia --

erianthus -- plume grass, any of about 20 species of grasses constituting the genus Erianthus (family Poaceae), native to warm regions of the Northern and Southern hemispheres. Plume grasses are tall, reedlike perennials with dense, cylindrical, plumelike panicles. Most species are 1 to 3 m (3 to 10 feet) tall, but Ravenna grass (E. ravennae), native to southern Europe, grows to 4 m (13 feet). It is cultivated as an ornamental for its long (0.6 m [2 feet]) panicle.

festuca -- A cool season grass. Plant in full sun to light shade. Good for low mass plantings. Although drought resistant, plants will look better with occasional irrigation in a well drained soil. Some forms will experience a summer dormancy - be careful not to overwater them at this time. Cut back plants to 3-4 inches tall in fall.

glyceria --

helictotrichon --

miscanthus -- (Japanese Silver Grass) - Native to both China and Japan, these handsome, clumping, warm season grasses begin to grow as soon as the warmth of spring arrives. Narrow at the base, the clumps rise to five feet or more and fan out at the top. They are easy to grow and long-lived. They resist deer, diseases, and insects, and they are drought tolerant. Give them full sun, and cut them down to the ground in the early spring so that the new foliage will not have to struggle up through last year's growth. In summer, the different varieties provide an exquisite background for the large, colorful flowers of daylilies and other perennials. The fine, complex pattern of their blades fills the negative spaces among the perennials and knits the garden together. Miscanthus reach full size by August and begin to produce their airy and beautiful flowers from August through September after which the plants begin to go dormant and turn a wheat color. The flowers are all useful in dry arrangements. Plants can be cut back to the ground as early as late November or their dormant forms can be enjoyed through the winter. Lightly dusted with snow, they are at their beautiful winter best.

molina --

panicum -- There are nearly 600 species of forage and cereal grasses in the genus Panicum (family Poaceae), distributed throughout tropical and warm temperate regions. These plants are annuals and perennials; many are tufted or have underground stems.

Many species of Panicum, known as millet (q.v.), are cultivated in Europe and Asia as crop plants and in the United States for forage, hog feed, and birdseed. Guinea grass (P. maximum), a tall African plant, also is cultivated for forage, especially in tropical America and southern North America. Switch grass (P. virgatum) is an erect, tough perennial, 1 to 2 m (about 3 to 6 1/2 feet) tall, that grows in clumps; its spikelets may be reddish. It is a major constituent of tall grass prairie in North America and is a valuable forage grass. It is sometimes used for erosion control because its thick underground stems send up new plants. (see the interesting note regarding millet). Witchgrass (P. capillare), a tufted annual, is a common weed in fields and disturbed areas. Its large, purplish flower clusters break off and are blown by the wind. Vine mesquite grass (P. obtusum) is planted for erosion control in the southwestern United States.

(Side note: Millet) any of various grasses, members of the Gramineae (Poaceae) family, producing small edible seeds used as forage crops and as food cereals. Millets, probably first cultivated in Asia or Africa more than 4,000 years ago, range in height from 1 to 4 feet (0.3 to 1.3 m). Millets are an important food staple in much of Asia, Russia, and western Africa. In the United States and western Europe they are used chiefly for pasture or to produce hay, although they were major grains in Europe during the Middle Ages.The millets are high in carbohydrates, with protein content varying from 6 to 11 percent and fat varying from 1.5 to 5 percent. They are somewhat strong in taste and cannot be made into leavened bread. Instead, they are mainly consumed in flatbreads and porridges or prepared and eaten much like rice. About 30,000,000 metric tons of millet are produced annually, chiefly in India, China, Nigeria, and Russia.

pennisetum -- genus of the grass family (Poaceae), containing about 80 species of annual and perennial plants, native to tropical and subtropical areas. Kikuyu grass (P. clandestinum), a perennial sod-forming species, is grown for pasturage in Central America. Several varieties of feathertop (P. villosum) and fountaintop, or fountain grass (P. setaceum, formerly P. ruppelii), both native to Ethiopia, are cultivated in North America as ornamentals for their arching form and feathery, coloured flower clusters.

phalaris -- (also refered to as reed canary grass) is considered a reed Dried reed stems have been used for millennia as thatching and construction material, in basketry, for arrows and pens, and in musical instruments (see reed instruments). They also are harvested for their cellulose content.

sorghastrum -- Indian grass, (species Sorghastrum nutans), tall perennial forage grass of the family Poaceae and one of the important constituents of the North American tall grass prairie. It bears narrow, greatly branched flower clusters. Each yellow spikelet is fringed with white hairs, giving the plant a silver-and-gold appearance. It is a close relative of S. elliottii and S. secundum.

spartina -- The genus Spartina (family Poaceae) contains 15 species of grasses (also called marsh grass, slat grass, or cord grass). The erect, tough, long-leaved plants range from 0.3 to 3 metres (1 to 10 feet) in height and are found on marshes and tidal mud flats of North America, Europe, and Africa. Most species grow in clumps, with short flower spikes alternating along and often adherent to the upper portion of the stems, and with spreading underground stems (rhizomes) that send up new plants and are good soil binders. Prairie cordgrass (S. pectinata) and gulf cordgrass (S. spartinae) are the most widely distributed North American species.

spidiopogen --

sporobolus --