Forb
Herbaceous, broad-leaved flowering plant
A forb or phorb is a herbaceous flowering plant that is not a graminoid (grass, sedge, or rush). The term is used in botany and in vegetation ecology especially in relation to grasslands and understory. Typically, these are eudicots without woody stems.
01Etymology
The word forb is derived from Greek phorbḗ (φορβή) 'pasture; fodder'. The Hellenic spelling phorb is sometimes used. In older usage, this sometimes includes graminids and other plants currently not regarded as forbs.
02Guilds
03In informal classification
In addition to its use in ecology, the term "forb" may be used for subdividing popular guides to wildflowers, distinguishing them from other categories such as grasses, sedges, shrubs, and trees. Some examples of forbs are clovers, sunflowers, daylilies, and milkweed.
Forb Adaptation Zones: Kale and turnip are examples of forb adaptations distributed over much of Europe, southern Oceania, northern Asia, and northern North America. In cooler climates, these crops are grown year-round, while in warmer climates, they are used as winter forage.
04Examples
- Helianthus annuus (sunflower)
- Raphanus sativus (radish)
- Taraxacum officinale (dandelion)
- Valeriana officinalis (valerian)
Sources and credits
This article is adapted from the Wikipedia article “Forb”, written by its contributors and licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Fathomly has changed the layout, removed citation markers, navigation and maintenance notices, and adjusted punctuation. This adapted version is shared under the same license. For references, see the original article.
Images, from Wikimedia Commons:
- A sunflower.jpg by Unknown author, Public domain
- Asclepiascommon.JPG by Hardyplants at English Wikipedia, Public domain
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