switch grass

American  

noun

1. a North American grass, Panicum virgatum, having an open, branching inflorescence.

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Etymology

Origin of switch grass

1830–40, alteration of quitch ( grass )

Example Sentences

Fifteen billion would be derived from food crops like corn, but much of the rest was to come from the development of cellulosic ethanol: fuel from wood chips, switch grass and the like.

From The Wall Street Journal

The newest biofuels don’t compete with food sources, instead producing energy from inedible plants like switch grass or algae.

From Seattle Times

But development of renewable fuels from waste or substances like fast-growing algae and switch grass has been frustratingly slow.

From Seattle Times

I have moved away from the massive miscanthus grass, not only for its invasiveness but also because it lacks the elegance of grasses such as switch grass, molinia, prairie dropseed and little bluestem.

From Washington Post

Among switch grass varieties, the stalwart Shenandoah remains the best, Dietrich says.

From Washington Post