Miscanthus

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Miscanthus
Japanese pampas grass susukinoSui Bo PB080105.jpg
Miscanthus sinensis
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Clade: Commelinids
Order: Poales
Family: Poaceae
Subfamily: Panicoideae
Supertribe: Andropogonodae
Tribe: Andropogoneae
Subtribe: Saccharinae
Genus: Miscanthus
Andersson
Type species
Miscanthus capensis
(Nees) Andersson [1] [2]
Synonyms [3]
  • DiandranthusL.Liu
  • MiscanthidiumStapf
  • RubimonsB.S.Sun
  • Sclerostachya(Andersson ex Hack.) A.Camus
  • Triarrhena(Maxim.) Nakai
  • XiphagrostisCoville ex Safford

Miscanthus, or silvergrass, [4] is a genus of African, Eurasian, and Pacific Island plants in the grass family, Poaceae. [5] [6]

Species [3] [7]
formerly included [3]

see Chloris, Pseudopogonatherum, Saccharum , and Spodiopogon

Physiology

A wide variety in cold tolerance occurs in the genus. M. × giganteus is especially vulnerable to cold, and a cultivar of M. sinensis has the best known cold tolerance. [8]

Miscanthus sinensis

Winter miscanthus, an ornamental grass, growing in southern Ontario, Canada WinterMiscanthus.jpg
Winter miscanthus, an ornamental grass, growing in southern Ontario, Canada

M. sinensis is widely cultivated as an ornamental plant, and is the source of several cultivars. In Japan, where it is known as susuki (すすき), it is considered an iconic plant of late summer and early autumn. It is mentioned in the Man'yōshū (VIII:1538) as one of the seven autumn flowers (aki no nana kusa, 秋の七草). It is used for the eighth month in hanafuda playing cards. It is decorated with bush clover for the Mid-Autumn Festival. Miscanthus has also excellent fiber properties for papermaking.

Miscanthus × giganteus

M. x giganteus, an energy crop, growing in Germany Miscanthus Bestand.JPG
M. × giganteus, an energy crop, growing in Germany

Miscanthus × giganteus (Miscanthus giganteus, giant miscanthus) [A 1] is a highly productive, rhizomatous C4 perennial grass, originating from Asia. [A 2] It is a sterile (noninvasive) hybrid of M. sinensis and M. sacchariflorus, and grows to heights of more than 4 m (13 ft) in one growing season (from the third season onwards). In temperate climates such as in Europe, the dry mass yield is 10–40 metric tons per hectare (4.5–17.8 short ton/acre) per year, depending on location. [A 3] Just like Pennisetum purpureum and Saccharum ravennae (which grow to the same height), it is also called "elephant grass".

Miscanthus' ability to grow on marginal land and in relatively cold weather conditions, its rapid CO2 absorption, its significant carbon sequestration, and its high yield make it a favorite choice as a biofuel. [9] [10]

Miscanthus is mainly used for heat and power, but can also be used as input for ethanol production (if harvested wet). If harvested dry, it can be burnt directly in biomass boilers, or processed further (pellets, briquettes). It can also be used as a "green" building material, for both wall construction and as general insulation. An experimental house based on Miscanthus straw bales was built in 2017. [11] Miscanthus cropping enhances nutrient cycling in the plant–soil system. [12]

Related Research Articles

<i>Saccharum</i> Genus of grasses

Saccharum is a genus of tall perennial plants of the broomsedge tribe within the grass family.

<i>Panicum virgatum</i> Species of plant

Panicum virgatum, commonly known as switchgrass, is a perennial warm season bunchgrass native to North America, where it occurs naturally from 55°N latitude in Canada southwards into the United States and Mexico. Switchgrass is one of the dominant species of the central North American tallgrass prairie and can be found in remnant prairies, in native grass pastures, and naturalized along roadsides. It is used primarily for soil conservation, forage production, game cover, as an ornamental grass, in phytoremediation projects, fiber, electricity, heat production, for biosequestration of atmospheric carbon dioxide, and more recently as a biomass crop for ethanol and butanol.

Cellulosic ethanol is ethanol produced from cellulose rather than from the plant's seeds or fruit. It can be produced from grasses, wood, algae, or other plants. It is generally discussed for use as a biofuel. The carbon dioxide that plants absorb as they grow offsets some of the carbon dioxide emitted when ethanol made from them is burned, so cellulosic ethanol fuel has the potential to have a lower carbon footprint than fossil fuels.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andropogoneae</span> Tribe of grasses

The Andropogoneae, sometimes called the sorghum tribe, are a large tribe of grasses (family Poaceae) with roughly 1,200 species in 90 genera, mainly distributed in tropical and subtropical areas. They include such important crops as maize (corn), sugarcane, and sorghum. All species in this tribe use C4 carbon fixation, which makes them competitive under warm, high-light conditions.

<i>Cenchrus purpureus</i> Species of grass

Cenchrus purpureus, synonym Pennisetum purpureum, also known as Napier grass, elephant grass or Uganda grass, is a species of perennial tropical grass native to the African grasslands. It has low water and nutrient requirements, and therefore can make use of otherwise uncultivated lands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Living mulch</span> Cover crop grown with a main crop as mulch

In agriculture, a living mulch is a cover crop interplanted or undersown with a main crop, and intended to serve the purposes of a mulch, such as weed suppression and regulation of soil temperature. Living mulches grow for a long time with the main crops, whereas cover crops are incorporated into the soil or killed with herbicides.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Biomass to liquid</span>

Biomass to liquid is a multi-step process of producing synthetic hydrocarbon fuels made from biomass via a thermochemical route.

<i>Arundo donax</i> Species of plant

Arundo donax is a tall perennial cane. It is one of several so-called reed species. It has several common names including giant cane, elephant grass, carrizo, arundo, Spanish cane, Colorado river reed, wild cane, and giant reed. Arundo and donax are respectively the old Latin and Greek names for reed.

<i>Andropogon</i> Genus of grasses

Andropogon is a widespread genus of plants in the grass family, native to much of Asia, Africa, and the Americas, as well as Southern Europe and various oceanic islands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lignocellulosic biomass</span> Plant dry matter

Lignocellulose refers to plant dry matter (biomass), so called lignocellulosic biomass. It is the most abundantly available raw material on the Earth for the production of biofuels. It is composed of two kinds of carbohydrate polymers, cellulose and hemicellulose, and an aromatic-rich polymer called lignin. Any biomass rich in cellulose, hemicelluloses, and lignin are commonly referred to as lignocellulosic biomass. Each component has a distinct chemical behavior. Being a composite of three very different components makes the processing of lignocellulose challenging. The evolved resistance to degradation or even separation is referred to as recalcitrance. Overcoming this recalcitrance to produce useful, high value products requires a combination of heat, chemicals, enzymes, and microorganisms. These carbohydrate-containing polymers contain different sugar monomers and they are covalently bound to lignin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Energy crop</span> Crops grown solely for energy production by combustion

Energy crops are low-cost and low-maintenance crops grown solely for renewable bioenergy production. The crops are processed into solid, liquid or gaseous fuels, such as pellets, bioethanol or biogas. The fuels are burned to generate electrical power or heat.

<i>Miscanthus sinensis</i> Species of grass

Miscanthus sinensis, the eulalia or Chinese silver grass, is a species of flowering plant in the grass family Poaceae, native to eastern Asia throughout most of China, Japan, Taiwan and Korea.

The term Elephant grass may refer to the following grass species:

<i>Miscanthus × giganteus</i> Species of grass

Miscanthus × giganteus, also known as the giant miscanthus, is a sterile hybrid of Miscanthus sinensis and Miscanthus sacchariflorus. It is a perennial grass with bamboo-like stems that can grow to heights of 3–4 metres (13 ft) in one season. Just like Pennisetum purpureum, Arundo donax and Saccharum ravennae, it is also called elephant grass.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Short rotation coppice</span> Coppice grown as an energy crop

Short rotation coppice (SRC) is coppice grown as an energy crop. This woody solid biomass can be used in applications such as district heating, electric power generating stations, alone or in combination with other fuels. Currently, the leading countries in area planted for energy generation are Sweden and the UK.

Second-generation biofuels, also known as advanced biofuels, are fuels that can be manufactured from various types of non-food biomass. Biomass in this context means plant materials and animal waste used especially as a source of fuel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sugarcane</span> Several species of grass used for sugar production

Sugarcane or sugar cane is a species of tall, perennial grass that is used for sugar production. The plants are 2–6 m (6–20 ft) tall with stout, jointed, fibrous stalks that are rich in sucrose, which accumulates in the stalk internodes. Sugarcanes belong to the grass family, Poaceae, an economically important flowering plant family that includes maize, wheat, rice, and sorghum, and many forage crops. It is native to the warm temperate and tropical regions of India, Southeast Asia, and New Guinea.

<i>Eulalia</i> (plant) Genus of grasses

Eulalia is a genus of Asian, African, and Australian plants in the grass family.

<i>Spodiopogon</i> Genus of grasses

Spodiopogon is a genus of Asian plants in the grass family.

M. giganteus may refer to:

References

  1. lectotype designated by Coville, Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 9: 400 (8 Apr 1905)
  2. Tropicos, Miscanthus Andersson
  3. 1 2 3 Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families
  4. USDA, NRCS (n.d.). "Miscanthus". The PLANTS Database (plants.usda.gov). Greensboro, North Carolina: National Plant Data Team. Retrieved 13 July 2015.
  5. Andersson, Nils Johan. 1855. Öfversigt af Förhandlingar: Kongl. Svenska Vetenskaps-Akademien 12: 165.
  6. Flora of China Vol. 22 Page 581 芒属 mang shu Miscanthus Andersson, Öfvers. Kongl. Vetensk.-Akad. Förh. 12: 165. 1855.
  7. The Plant List search for Miscanthus
  8. Carroll, Andrew; Somerville, Chris (2009-06-01). "Cellulosic Biofuels". Annual Review of Plant Biology . 60 (1). Annual Reviews: 165–182. doi:10.1146/annurev.arplant.043008.092125. ISSN   1543-5008. PMID   19014348.
  9. Lewandowski, Iris; Clifton-Brown, John; Trindade, Luisa M.; van der Linden, Gerard C.; Schwarz, Kai-Uwe; Müller-Sämann, Karl; Anisimov, Alexander; Chen, C.-L.; Dolstra, Oene; Donnison, Iain S.; Farrar, Kerrie; Fonteyne, Simon; Harding, Graham; Hastings, Astley; Huxley, Laurie M.; Iqbal, Yasir; Khokhlov, Nikolay; Kiesel, Andreas; Lootens, Peter; Meyer, Heike; Mos, Michal; Muylle, Hilde; Nunn, Chris; Özgüven, Mensure; Roldán-Ruiz, Isabel; Schüle, Heinrich; Tarakanov, Ivan; van der Weijde, Tim; Wagner, Moritz; Xi, Qingguo; Kalinina, Olena (2016-11-18). "Progress on Optimizing Miscanthus Biomass Production for the European Bioeconomy: Results of the EU FP7 Project OPTIMISC". Frontiers in Plant Science . 7. Frontiers: 1620. doi: 10.3389/fpls.2016.01620 . ISSN   1664-462X. PMC   5114296 . PMID   27917177. p. 1620: Field experiments with the only genotype currently commercially available, Miscanthus × giganteus, a clone-based interspecies hybrid, have revealed its great photosynthetic efficiency, high biomass yield capacity, low input demands, and good tolerance of temperate climates, and many of the characteristics that make miscanthus an ideal biomass crop.
  10. Yablonovitch, Eli; Deckman, Harry W. (2023-04-18). "Scalable, economical, and stable sequestration of agricultural fixed carbon". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 120 (16): e2217695120. Bibcode:2023PNAS..12017695Y. doi:10.1073/pnas.2217695120. ISSN   0027-8424. PMC   10120047 . PMID   37040411.
  11. Blog of Centre for Alternative Technology in Wales: "The world’s first Miscanthus bale house" Archived 2017-12-01 at the Wayback Machine . Retrieved 2017-11-27
  12. Willy H. Verheye, ed. (2010). "Perennial Energy Crops: Growth and Management". Soils, Plant Growth and Crop Production Volume III. EOLSS Publishers. p. 37. ISBN   978-1-84826-369-7.
  1. p. 71, "Recent classification work at the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew, England has designated it as M. x giganteus […], a hybrid of M. sinensis […] and M. sacchariflorus […]"
  2. p. 71, "M. × giganteus is a highly productive, sterile, rhizomatous C4 perennial grass that was collected in Yokahama, Japan, in 1935 by Aksel Olsen. It was taken to Denmark, where it was cultivated and spread throughout Europe and into North America for planting in horticultural settings."
  3. p. 79, "The majority of the literature reporting dry biomass yield for M. × giganteus originates from European studies. Ceiling peak biomass yields in established stands of M. x giganteus have approached 40 t dry matter (DM) ha−1 in some European locations, although it may take 3–5 years to achieve these ceiling yields [84]. Across Europe, harvestable yields of up to 25 t DM ha-1 from established stands of M. × giganteus have been reported in areas between central Germany and southern Italy, while peak yields in central and northern Europe have ranged between 10–25 t DM ha-1, and in excess of 30 t DM ha-1 in southern Europe [3]. A quantitative review of established M. × giganteus stands across Europe reported a mean peak biomass yield of 22 t DM ha-1, averaged across N rates and precipitation levels [1]."