What's the difference between grass and tree?

There are many kinds of plants in nature, which make up the rich and colorful world in our eyes, among which the species of trees and grasses are undoubtedly the largest among the plants, whether it is the uninhabited desert or the endless ocean. there will be trees and grass more or less, so what is the specific difference between trees and grass?

The difference between grass and tree

In botany, grass is a general term for herbaceous plants other than cultivated plants in higher plants, while trees refer to woody plants. The biggest difference between the two is that the structure of the stem is different, the xylem of the stem of the herb is less developed, the xylem of the stem of the woody plant is well developed, the cell wall is mostly lignified, the xylem part of the vascular bundle of the herb is distributed on the outside, and the phloem is distributed on the inside, but the woody plant is just the opposite. The vascular bundles of herbaceous plants do not have cambium, so they cannot continue to grow and become thicker, while the vascular bundles of woody plants are visible into layers, and the longer the stem is, the thicker the stem can be.

In daily life, the most direct distinction between trees and grass is that trees are generally much taller than grass, although there are some herbaceous plants that can grow to the height of trees, but the species of this plant is very rare. In addition, the lifespan of trees is much longer than that of herbaceous plants, most of which are annual or biennial, while trees can live as long as thousands of years. the oldest fir trees growing on the narrow coasts of northern California and southwestern Oregon have a lifespan of more than 5,000 years.

II. The significance of grass and trees to nature

Grass and trees belong to a kind of plants in nature, both of which are of great significance to our human survival. Many plants have high ornamental value, and it is a good choice to beautify the environment. The leaves of plants can carry out photosynthesis. Absorb carbon dioxide in the air, release oxygen, make the air fresh; plants can also effectively block noise. The root system of plants can effectively fix the soil and prevent soil erosion; in addition, plants provide oxygen / food / medicine for human beings, which can be said to be inseparable for human survival and reproduction.

We will stop here about the distinction between grass and trees, and we still need to learn more about it from books.