Hierochloe odorata

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Hierochloe odorata
Hierochloe odorata (USDA).jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Clade: Commelinids
Order: Poales
Family: Poaceae
Genus: Hierochloe
Species:
H. odorata
Binomial name
Hierochloe odorata
Synonyms
Sweet grass photographed in British Columbia, Canada 2007 Sweet Grass.JPG
Sweet grass photographed in British Columbia, Canada 2007

Hierochloe odorata or Anthoxanthum nitens [1] (commonly known as sweet grass, manna grass, Mary's grass or vanilla grass, and as holy grass in the UK, [3] bison grass e.g. by Polish vodka producers [4] ) is an aromatic herb native to northern Eurasia and North America. It is considered sacred by many Indigenous peoples in Canada and the United States. It is used as a smudge in herbal medicine and in the production of distilled beverages (e.g., Żubrówka, Wisent). It owes its distinctive sweet scent to the presence of coumarin.

Contents

This variety of grass is distinct from the species commonly known as buffalo grass in Australia and the United States ( Stenotaphrum secundatum and Bouteloua dactyloides , respectively).

Characteristics

Hierochloe odorata is a very hardy perennial, able to grow in the Arctic Circle. Its leaves do not have rigid stems, so only grow to about 20 cm (7.9 in) in height, and then the leaves grow outward horizontally to 100 cm (39 in) long or more, by late summer. The base of the leaf, just below the soil surface, is broad and white, without hairs; the underside of the leaf is shiny and glabrous. In the wild, the bases of the leaves are frequently purple-red colored, and this indicates a phosphorus-deficient soil. [5]

Two chemicals found in sweetgrass, phytol and coumarin, repel mosquitoes. [6]

Taxonomy

The name Hierochloe odorata is from the Greek and Latin. Hierochloe means "holy grass" and odorata means "fragrant". Some authors include Hierochloe in Anthoxanthum ; in this case this species is given the epithet nitens to avoid confusion with a different species, Anthoxanthum odoratum , sweet vernal grass. [1]

Distribution

In North America Hierochloe odorata occurs in southern Canada, northern Great Plains/Rocky Mountains and northwest of U.S., and New England. [7] In continental Europe it occurs north from Switzerland. There is only one site in Ireland, and it is recorded in four counties of Scotland and one in north-eastern England. [8]

Ecology

Hierochloe odorata is a marshland species occupying the middle range of habitat between dune and salt marsh ecosystems. [9] The species shows little preference for a soil's nutrient or water content, but is rigidly restricted by pH and salinity. [9] The species is consistently associated with Juncus balticus in marshlands, and Ammophila breviligulata in dune ecosystems. [9] The species reaches peak abundance on the edge of these competing species ranges. [9] The associated plants are thought to be major inhibitors of growth. [9] The species is only documented to be browsed by the American pika (Ochotona princeps) and European bison. [10] [4] Other native herbivores, such as white-tailed deer, elk or American bison may graze on it. [11] The chemical coumarin, which creates the species signature vanilla smell, has a bitter taste that deters grazers. [11]

Propagation

Propagation is easiest by cutting out plugs from established plants. [12] These plugs should have at least one active rhizome, and grow rapidly under greenhouse care. [12] When establishing stands in the wild, Hierochloe odorata seeds require a period of cold temperatures before they germinate, and a germinate at a rate of 25-50%. [12] Hierochloe odorata grows best in soil with few competing weeds, loose texture and moistened to the point of surface puddling. [12] Seedlings require constant moisture until they sprout, around 10 to 14 days later. [12]

Uses

The plant is harvested by cutting grass in early to late summer at the desired length. Hierochloe odorata harvested after the first frost has little or no scent and is less desirable for basketry. Basketweavers sun-dry cut sweet grass until it is dry and brittle. The brittle form of sweet grass must be soaked in warm water until it becomes pliable. The pliable grass is typically braided into thick threads and then redried for use. [13]

European traditions

Holy grass was strewn before church doors on saints' days in northern Europe, presumably because of the sweet smell that arose when it was trodden on. It was used in France to flavor candy, tobacco, soft drinks, and perfumes. In Europe, the species Hierochloe alpina is frequently substituted or used interchangeably. In Russia, it was used to flavor tea. It is still used in flavored vodka, such as the Polish Żubrówka. [14]

In Finnmark, Sámi peoples have braided and dried the grass (háissasuoidni in Northern Sámi) to use as a perfume, either directly or by storing it with clothes. [14]

Indigenous traditions (North America)

Sweetgrass is widely used by Indigenous peoples from many different Nations in North America. The Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) tribes have been known to use sweetgrass in a variety of ways, [15] such as basketry, ceremonial smudging, incense, perfume, and herbal medicine. Among many of the Indigenous peoples of the Great Plains and Canadian Prairies it is considered one of the "four sacred medicines". [16] Though being used for many purposes, its main two purposes for many tribes are to attract good spirits and as a natural mosquito repellent. It is also known as the "Hair of Mother Earth". [13] Robin Wall Kimmerer writes about sweetgrass and its sustainable harvesting in her book Braiding Sweetgrass . [17]

Related Research Articles

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<i>Viola odorata</i> Species of flowering plant

Viola odorata is a species of flowering plant in the family Violaceae, native to Europe and Asia. This small hardy herbaceous perennial is commonly known as wood violet, sweet violet, English violet, common violet, florist's violet, or garden violet. It has been introduced into the Americas and Australia.

<i>Cananga odorata</i> Species of tree

Cananga odorata, known as ylang-ylang or cananga tree, is a tropical tree that is native to the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, and Queensland, Australia. It is also native to parts of Thailand and Vietnam. It is valued for the essential oils extracted from its flowers, which has a strong floral fragrance. Ylang-ylang is one of the most extensively used natural materials in the perfume industry, earning it the name "Queen of Perfumes".

<i>Angelica archangelica</i> Species of plant

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coumarin</span> Aromatic chemical compound

Coumarin or 2H-chromen-2-one is an aromatic organic chemical compound with formula C9H6O2. Its molecule can be described as a benzene molecule with two adjacent hydrogen atoms replaced by an unsaturated lactone ring −(CH)=(CH)−(C=O)−O−, forming a second six-membered heterocycle that shares two carbons with the benzene ring. It belongs to the benzopyrone chemical class and considered as a lactone.

<i>Chrysopogon zizanioides</i> Species of plant

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<i>Galium odoratum</i> Species of flowering plant

Galium odoratum, the sweet woodruff or sweetscented bedstraw, is a flowering perennial plant in the family Rubiaceae, native to much of Europe from Spain and Ireland to Russia, as well as Western Siberia, Turkey, Iran, the Caucasus, China and Japan. It is also sparingly naturalised in scattered locations in the United States and Canada. It is widely cultivated for its flowers and its sweet-smelling foliage.

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<i>Anthoxanthum occidentale</i> Species of grass

Anthoxanthum occidentale is a species of grass known by the common name California sweetgrass. It is a close relative of the more widely known sweet grass. It is native to the west coast of the United States from Washington to California, where it grows in the coniferous forests of the coastal mountain ranges. This is a rhizomatous perennial grass with leaves up to 30 centimeters long and 1.5 wide. The stem reaches a meter in height with an inflorescence of 7 to 10 centimeters. The spikelets grow on short, wavy stalks and each has three florets with long, protruding stamens during flowering.

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References

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  4. 1 2 Krasińska, M.; Krasińska, Z. (2013). "Food and Use of the Environment". European Bison. Springer Berlin Heidelberg. pp. 157–179. doi:10.1007/978-3-642-36555-3_14. ISBN   978-3-642-36554-6.
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  6. "Mosquito-repelling chemicals identified in traditional sweetgrass".
  7. Hierochloe odorata (L.) P. Beauv., USDA PLANTS
  8. "Hierochloe odorata". Online Atlas of the British and Irish flora. Retrieved 2 April 2021.
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  10. Alexander C. Martin, Herbert S. Zim and Arnold L. Nelson (1951). American Wildlife and Plants. Internet Archive. McGraw-Hill Book Company, Inc.
  11. 1 2 "Braiding Sweetgrass". Museum of Natural History. 2020-12-16. Retrieved 2024-04-01.
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  13. 1 2 "NativeTech: Native American Uses for Sweetgrass". www.nativetech.org. Retrieved 2019-02-27.
  14. 1 2 Alm, Torbjørn (23 December 2015). "Scented grasses in Norway—identity and uses". Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine. 11: 83. doi: 10.1186/s13002-015-0070-y . ISSN   1746-4269. PMC   4690224 . PMID   26701261.
  15. Shebitz, Daniela (2005). "Weaving Traditional Ecological Knowledge into the Restoration of Basketry Plants". Journal of Ecological Anthropology. 9 (1). University of Washington . Retrieved 2024-06-06.
  16. "Four Sacred Medicines | American Indian Health Service of Chicago, Inc" . Retrieved 2021-10-13.
  17. Kimmerer, Robin Wall (2020). Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants. London: Penguin. ISBN   978-0-141-99195-5.