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Lawn Green Lawn Care - What Turf Grass is That?

Turf grasses are classified in 2 broad categories:

• Cool season turf grasses
• Warm season turf grasses

Cool season turf grasses (common and botanical names) include:

• Perennial Rye grass - Lolium perenne
• Creeping bentgrass - Agrostis palustris
• Tall fescue - Festuca arundinacea
• Kentucky bluegrass - Poa pratensis

Warm season turf grasses (common and botanical names) include:

• Couch - Cynodon dactylon
• Centipede grass - Eremochloa ophiuroides
• Kikuyu - Pennisetum clandestinum
• Buffalo - Stenotaphrum secundatum
• Zoysia - Zoysia japonica
• Durban - Dactyloctenium australe
• Seashore Paspalum - Paspalum vaginatum
• Queensland Blue Couch - Digitaria didactyla
  

When referring to particular plants (and animals) we may use common names or we may use scientific names.

Common names are names given by local people to refer to plants and animals. Common names may be totally different from one country to another, from one state to another, and even from one county to another.
Common names change as new people move to an area, or as old common names fall out of favor for one reason or another.

Scientific names, on the other hand, are unique plant and animal names that are used the world over by people such as scientists, horticulturalists, environmental managers and knowledgeable citizens. Scientific names are the same name for the same organism no matter where on the planet you are, no matter what language you speak. Scientific names cannot be changed except by scientific agreement, such as when scientists convene specifically to debate and agree on plant and animal taxonomy.

Turf grasses have different common names depending on which country you are from. Buffalo turf (including Sir Walter buffalo) is called buffalo grass in Australia, however, the American equivalent is St. Augustine grass.