What Is a Tropical Grass?

Grassland Types

• There are two primary types of grasslands that make up the grassland biome, including temperate grasslands and tropical grasslands, according to the University of California Museum of Paleontology. Temperate grasslands are located in regions that get between 10 and 30 inches of rain per year. Temperate grasses have two seasons: a growing season and a dormant season when it is too cold for growth to occur. Tropical grasslands are located in regions that are typically warm all year round, but have a rainy season and a dry season, according to National Geographic.

Names

• Tropical and temperate grasslands go by a number of different names, depending on their locations. African grasslands are frequently referred to as savannas. North American grasslands are called prairies. Grasslands in South America are call pampas and in Europe and Asia they are called steppes. Whatever name they are called, grassland covers approximately a quarter of the earth's land surface, and is among the most useful type of environment for farming.

Tropical Grasses

• Tropical grasses are sometimes referred to as warm season grasses in the United States. There are a number of varieties of tropical grasses that are suitable for cultivating for residential, commercial and governmental green areas such as lawns, parks and recreational areas. Tropical grasses that are suitable for lawns include Bahai grass, centipede grass, St. Augustine grass, Bermuda grass and zoysia grass.

Characteristics

• Tropical grasses come in a wide variety of appearances from fine to broad leaf, from deep rich blue-green to pale green-yellow in color. Different varieties of tropical grass have different levels of drought, heat, cold and shade tolerance. They may propagate from seeds or runners. Tropical grasses are not able to endure extended periods of extreme cold as they do not tend to enter dormancy.