ABSTRACT
The genera containing the species we use as turfgrasses evolved from these primitive forestdwelling plants around 30-45 million years ago. During the course of this evolution, several changes were necessary to make grasses capable of withstanding savannah environments. Among these changes was a reduction in the morphology of the fl owers, from showy petalled fl owers pollinated by insects seen in the Commelinales to the reduced wind-pollinated fl owers we see within the Poales. Routine defoliation and traffi c from grazing animals conferred the traffi c and mowing tolerances characteristic of turfgrasses [3,4].
