1. Poaceae
(Gramineae)

2. Angiosperm Phylogeny Group
Order Poales
Angiosperm Phylogeny Group

3. Avena (oats)
Oryza (rice)
Triticum (wheat)
Poaceae is by far the most economically important family of angiosperms.
Saccharum (sugarcane)
Zea (corn)
Bambusa (bamboo)

4. Poaceae is the most economically important group of angiosperms.
Oryza (rice), Triticum (wheat), Avena (oats), Zea (corn), Secale (rye)
Staple cereals:
Sugar:
Saccharum (sugarcane), Sorghum
Alcohol:
Oryza (sake), Saccharum (rum), Hordeum (beer), Secale and Zea (whiskey)
Other stuff:
Forage and fodder, paper and building materials (e.g. bamboo), essential oils (e.g. lemongrass), ornamental and turf grasses.

5. Angiosperm Phylogeny Group
Poaceae family diversity:
13 subfamilies
668 genera
10,035 species
85 genera in New England
55 in Vermont
Angiosperm Phylogeny Group

6. Poaceae distribution:
Angiosperm Phylogeny Group
Cosmopolitan distribution,
specializing in drier sites.

7. Vegetative characters:
Perennial and sometimes annual herbs
Upright stems (culms) round
Nodes swollen
Internodes hollow
Leaves alternate, simple, entire, with parallel venation. Sheathing at base, sheath open.
Ligule often present

8. Reproductive characters:
Perianth, if present, of lodicules
Androecium of usually 3 stamens
Ovary superior, of 3 fused carpels
Fruit a caryopsis

9. Reproductive characters:
Floral Formula:

10. Reproductive characters:
Florets are enclosed by two bracts, the
palea and the lemma
palea
lemma
rachilla

11. Reproductive characters:

12. Reproductive characters:
Florets are arranged in spikelets, these
subtended by a pair of glumes
glumes

13. ‘Telescoped’ spikelet ‘Exploded’ spikelet of brome grass
glumes
‘Telescoped’ spikelet
‘Exploded’ spikelet of
brome grass

15. Inflorescence types vary:
raceme
panicle
spike

16. Caryopsis (grain)
Achene
Loculicidal capsule
Fruit
Reduced to 2 (or 3) scales
Absent or of bristles or scales
Usually 6 chaffy tepals
Perianth
Spikelets
Each flower subtended by 2 bracts (lemma and palea
Each flower subtended by one bract (scale)
Basically cymose and often congested
Each flower subtended by 2 bracts
Inflorescence
2-ranked
Blades flat
Open sheath
3-ranked
Closed sheath
Blades flat to terete
Leaves
Terete or ellipsoid
Internodes hollow (to solid)
Nodes jointed
Triangular (not always visible)
Internodes usually solid
Nodes not jointed
Terete in cross section
Internodes solid with large pith
Stems
Various
Wetlands and upland woods
Mostly wet areas
Habitat
POACEAE (Grasses)
CYPERACEAE (Sedges)
JUNCACEAE (Rushes)
Character