Forb

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"Forbs" redirects here. For the former football player, see Forbs (footballer).
Sunflower (Helianthus annuus), a large forb.

A forb or phorb is a herbaceous flowering plant that is not a graminoid (grass, sedge, or rush). The term is used in biology and in vegetation ecology, especially in relation to grasslands[1] and understory.[2]

Etymology[]

The word "forb" is derived from Greek phorbḗ (φορβή), meaning "pasture" or "fodder".[3][4] The hellenic spelling "phorb" is sometimes used, and in older usage this sometimes includes graminids and other plants currently not regarded as forbs.

Guilds[]

Forbs are members of a guild—a group of plant species with broadly similar growth form.[5] In certain contexts in ecology, guild membership may often be more important than the taxonomic relationships between organisms.

Milkweed

In informal classification[]

In addition to its use in ecology, the term "forb" may be used for subdividing popular guides to wildflowers,[6] distinguishing them from other categories such as grasses, sedges, shrubs, and trees.[7] Some examples of forbs are clovers, sunflowers, daylilies, and milkweed.

See also[]

  • Dicotyledon – Historical grouping of flowering plants
  • Herbaceous plant – Plant which has no persistent woody stem above ground
  • Overgrazing – When plants are grazed for extended periods without sufficient recovery time

References[]

  1. ^ Schröder, Hans (2009). Grasslands: Ecology, Management and Restoration. Commack, N.Y: Nova Science Publishers. ISBN 1-60692-024-3.
  2. ^ "Native Understory Forbs and Grasses". www.nrcs.usda.gov.
  3. ^ Jaeger, Edmund C. (1959). A source-book of biological names and terms. Springfield, Ill: Thomas. ISBN 0-398-06179-3.
  4. ^ Scott, Robert Pickett; Henry, George (2007). Liddell and Scott's Greek-English Lexicon, Abridged: Original Edition, republished in larger and clearer typeface. Simon Wallenburg Press. ISBN 1-84356-026-7.
  5. ^ Roxburgh, Stephen. A Demonstration of Guild Based Assembly Rules for a Plant Community and Determination of Intrinsic Guilds.
  6. ^ graniteseed.com https://graniteseed.com/seed/wildflowers-forbs/. Retrieved 2021-05-02. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  7. ^ "Describe the major differences between the plant families used as forages". Forage Information System. 2009-05-28. Retrieved 2021-05-02.

External links[]

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