Forb

Herbaceous, broad-leaved flowering plant

"Forbs" redirects here. For the former football player, see Forbs (footballer).

Sunflower (Helianthus annuus), a large forb

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[1] and understory.[2] Typically, these are eudicots without woody stems.

## Etymology

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The word forb is derived from Greek phorbḗ (φορβή) 'pasture; fodder'.[3][4] The Hellenic spelling phorb is sometimes used, and in older usage this sometimes includes graminids and other plants currently not regarded as forbs.

## Guilds

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Forbs are members of a guild—a group of plant species with broadly similar growth forms.[5] In certain contexts in ecology, guild membership may often be more important than the taxonomic relationships between organisms.

Milkweed

## In informal classification

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In addition to its use in ecology, the term "forb" may be used for subdividing popular guides to wildflowers,[6] distinguishing them from other categories such as grasses, sedges, shrubs, and trees.[7] 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.

## Examples

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Linnaean taxonomy family names are given.[8] Acanthaceae, Aizoaceae, Amaranthaceae, Apiaceae, Apocynaceae, Asclepiadaceae, Asteraceae, Balsaminaceae, Begoniaceae, Boraginaceae, Brassicaceae, Buxaceae, Campanulaceae, Cannabaceae, Caryophyllaceae, Chenopodiaceae, Clusiaceae, Convolvulaceae, Crassulaceae, Cucurbitaceae, Cuscutaceae, Dipsacaceae, Ericaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Fabaceae, Gentianaceae, Geraniaceae, Gunneraceae, Haloragaceae, Hydrophyllaceae, Lamiaceae, Lentibulariaceae, Limnanthaceae, Linaceae, Lythraceae, Malvaceae, Moraceae, Nyctaginaceae, Onagraceae, Orobanchaceae, Oxalidaceae, Papaveraceae, Phytolaccaceae, Plantaginaceae, Plumbaginaceae, Polemoniaceae, Polygonaceae, Portulacaceae, Primulaceae, Ranunculaceae, Resedaceae, Rosaceae, Rubiaceae, Scrophulariaceae, Solanaceae, Thymelaeaceae, Urticaceae, Valerianaceae, Verbenaceae, Violaceae, Zygophyllaceae

## See also

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* Dicotyledon – Historical grouping of flowering plants
* Herbaceous plant – Plant that has no persistent woody stem above ground
* Overgrazing – When plants are grazed for extended periods without sufficient recovery time
* Tapestry lawn

## References

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1. ^ Schröder, Hans (2009). Grasslands: Ecology, Management and Restoration. Commack, N.Y: Nova Science Publishers. ISBN 978-1-60692-024-4.
2. ^ "Native Understory Forbs and Grasses". www.nrcs.usda.gov. Archived from the original on 2022-03-08. Retrieved 2021-05-02.
3. ^ Jaeger, Edmund C. (1959). A source-book of biological names and terms. Springfield, Ill: Thomas. ISBN 0-398-06179-3. `{{cite book}}`: ISBN / Date incompatibility (help)
4. ^ Scott, Robert Pickett; Henry, George (2007). Liddell and Scott's Greek-English Lexicon, Abridged: Original Edition, republished in larger and clearer typeface. Simon Wallenburg Press. ISBN 978-1-84356-026-5.
5. ^ Roxburgh, Stephen (1994). "A Demonstration of Guild Based Assembly Rules for a Plant Community and Determination of Intrinsic Guilds". Oikos. 69 (2): 267–276\. Bibcode:1994Oikos..69..267W. doi:10.2307/3546147. JSTOR 3546147.
6. ^ "Wildflower seeds and forbs". graniteseed.com. Retrieved 2021-05-02.
7. ^ "Describe the major differences between the plant families used as forages". Forage Information System. 2009-05-28. Retrieved 2021-05-02.
8. ^ "Invasive Plant Atlas". Retrieved 25 Sep 2021.

## External links

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* United States Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service link to Growth habits Codes and Definitions.