  Vegetation patterns, a natural phenomenon observed worldwide, are typically
driven by spatially distributed feedback. However, the spatial colonization
mechanisms of clonal plants, driven by the growth of a rhizome, are usually not
considered in prototypical models. Here we propose a general equation for the
vegetation density that includes all main clonal-growth features as well as the
essential ingredients leading to spatial self-organization. This generic model
reproduces the phase diagram of a fully detailed model of clonal growth. The
relation of each term of the model with the mechanisms of clonal growth is
discussed.
