The Many Faces of Grass

Did you know your lawn has a face? It can be happy, spooky, or just mashed
altogether. The picture below is from a grass called marram grass. This grass is utilized to
stabilize dunes and other coastal areas and was introduced to the Pacific coast of the US in
the late 19th century. Unfortunately, it has turned evasive, and efforts are underway to
control it. That said, it’s still putting on a happy face!

The “head” contains the vascular bundle, which is comprised of the xylem and phloem. For
ease, I’ll broadly label the parts of the face; the smile and eyes are the xylem and are
responsible for carrying water throughout the plant. The “brain” (light blue area above the
“eyes” is the phloem). The phloem is responsible for the transport of sugars made during
photosynthesis in the leaves down to the roots. Whether happy, spooky, or just together,
these bundles are the lifeblood of the plant!
Other grass examples: