Tundra Grass

The tundra grass has split from the yellow firegrass. It inhabits the Southern Tundra. Unlike it’s ancestor, tundra grass never turns yellow, as it cannot dry out. It is shorter than it’s ancestor. It only grows in low areas that collect with melted snow in the summer so that it has a constant supply of water. The grass has developed a ‘bulb’ that acts as it’s center and has a type of anti-freeze to stop it from freezing. Each spring, new shoots emerge from the bulb. Their purpose is simply to collect sunlight. The plant then stores sugars gained from photosynthesis in the bulb and over the cold time of the year, when the leaves die away and the plant is covered by snow, uses it as reserves. It only produces seeds every two years because it cannot collect sunlight in the winter and therefore doesn’t have enough energy to produce seeds every year. The seeds are similar to the firegrass because they are small and light so are easily carried by the wind.