What type of perennial grass is Panicum virgatum defined as regarding its growth season?
Answer
Warm-season perennial grass
Switchgrass, *Panicum virgatum*, is specifically identified as a warm-season perennial grass. This classification means that its primary growth period occurs during the hottest months of the year, typically summer. This growth pattern provides a significant ecological advantage in temperate environments because it continues to put on biomass when cool-season grasses begin to slow their development due to heat stress. Being perennial ensures that the plant establishes a strong, deep root system over multiple years, allowing it to persist and thrive through successive warm growing seasons in its native North American habitats.
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