Forb

Forb

Forbs are herbaceous flowering plants that are not graminoids (grasses, sedges and rushes). The term is frequently used in vegetation ecology, especially in relation to grasslands. Forbs represent a guild of plant species with broadly similar growth form, which in ecology is often more important than taxonomic relationship.

In addition to its use in ecological studies, the term forb may also be used for subdividing popular guides to the wildflowers of a region, together with other categories such as ferns, grasses, shrubs and trees. This approach is not followed in formal regional floras, which are usually organised taxonomically.

Some example forbs are clover, sunflower and milkweed.

ee also

*herb
*overgrazing
*understory


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Look at other dictionaries:

  • forb — ☆ forb [fôrb ] n. [Gr phorbē, fodder < pherbein, to feed, graze] a broad leaved herbaceous plant, as distinguished from the grasses, sedges, shrubs, and trees …   English World dictionary

  • Forb. — Forb., bei Tiernamen Abkürzung für Edward Forbes (s.d. 2) …   Meyers Großes Konversations-Lexikon

  • forb — 1924, from Gk. phorbe fodder, forage …   Etymology dictionary

  • forb — noun Etymology: Greek phorbē fodder, food, from pherbein to graze Date: 1924 an herb other than grass …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • forb — /fawrb/, n. any herb that is not a grass or grasslike. [1920 25; < Gk phorbé food, fodder, deriv. of phérbein to feed; akin to OE beorgan, birgan to taste, eat, ON bergja to taste] * * * …   Universalium

  • forb — noun Any non woody flowering plant that is not a grass …   Wiktionary

  • FORB — Fortress Bancshares, Inc. (Business » NASDAQ Symbols) …   Abbreviations dictionary

  • forb — [fɔ:b] noun Botany a herbaceous flowering plant other than a grass. Origin 1920s: from Gk phorbē fodder …   English new terms dictionary

  • FORB — abbr. FORTRESS BANCSHARES INC NASDAQ …   Dictionary of abbreviations

  • forb — [[t]fɔrb[/t]] n. bot any herbaceous plant that is not a grass or not grasslike • Etymology: 1920–25; < Gk phorbḗ food, fodder, der. of phérbein to feed …   From formal English to slang

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