Growth habits of grasses can be divided into three different categories: bunch-type, rhizomatous, and stoloniferous. In plants having a bunch-type growth habit, new stems are produced by tillering. A tiller is a stem that arises from a bud in the crown and grows vertically, remaining enclosed by the leaf sheath. Although all grasses produce tillers, only those that spread by tillering alone are referred to as bunch-type grasses.
In plants with the rhizomatous growth habit, lateral growth occurs by horizontal creeping underground stems called rhizomes. Rhizomes are produced from buds in the crown that break through the outer leaf sheath. Rhizomes produce nodes that can give rise to new tillers.
In plants having the stoloniferous growth habit, lateral growth occurs by horizontal creeping aboveground stems called stolons. Stolons are produced from buds in the crown that break through the outer leaf sheath. Stolons produce nodes that can give rise to new tillers. Stolons are usually green, whereas rhizomes are usually white.
