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Poaceae (Gramineae). oats. rice. wheat. The most economically important family of flowering plants. sugar cane. bamboo. Ceres - the Roman goddess of agriculture. And the fourth largest:. 600 Genera /10, 000 species worldwide (ca. 85 genera in New England and 55 in Vermont).
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Poaceae (Gramineae)
oats rice wheat The most economically important family of flowering plants ... sugar cane bamboo
Ceres - the Roman goddess of agriculture
And the fourth largest: 600 Genera /10, 000 species worldwide (ca. 85 genera in New England and 55 in Vermont)
Ecology: Occur in practically all habitats, but specialize in dryer sites
Vegetative attributes: • Perennial and sometimes annual herbs • Upright stems (culms) round • Nodes swollen • Internodes hollow • Leaves two-ranked, sheaths • split • Ligule often present
Reproductive attributes: • Perianth, if present, of lodicules • Androecium of usually 3 stamens • Ovary superior, of 3 fused carpels • Fruit a caryopsis
Florets are enclosed by two bracts, the palea and the lemma palea lemma rachilla
Florets are arranged in spikelets, these • subtended by a pair of glumes glumes
glumes ‘Telescoped’ spikelet ‘Exploded’ spikelet of brome grass
Inflorescences Various raceme panicle spike
Character JUNCACEAE (Rushes) CYPERACEAE (Sedges) POACEAE (Grasses) Habitat Mostly wet areas Wetlands and upland woods Various Stems Terete in cross section Internodes solid with large pith Nodes not jointed Triangular (not always visible) Internodes usually solid Nodes not jointed Terete or ellipsoid Internodes hollow (to solid) Nodes jointed Leaves 3-ranked Blades flat to terete Open sheath 3-ranked Blades flat Closed sheath 2-ranked Blades flat Open sheath Inflorescence Basically cymose and often congested Each flower subtended by 2 bracts Spikelets Each flower subtended by one bract (scale) Spikelets Each flower subtended by 2 bracts (lemma and palea Perianth Usually 6 chaffy tepals Absent or of bristles or scales Reduced to 2 (or 3) scales Fruit Loculicidal capsule Achene Caryopsis (grain)
The major groups: (First a couple of oddballs …)
Spikelets enclosed in a spiny bur ... Cenchrus longispinus Field sandbur
Spikelets all unisexual, plants monoecious ... Zizania aquatica Wild rice
Glumes absent; spikelets strongly flattened ... Leersia oryzoides Rice cutgrass
Magee and Ahles Group 1: Spikelets in two or more rows on one side of the rachis ... Spartina pectinata Freshwater cordgrass
Magee and Ahles Group 2: Spikelets sessile on the rachis, forming a bilateral spike ... Elytrigia repens Quackgrass Lolium perenne Ryegrass
Magee and Ahles Group 3: ≥2 functional florets/spikelet; glumes shorter than lowest lemma ... Bromus inermis Unarmed bromegrass Briza minor Smaller quakinggrass Eragrostis spectabilis Purple lovegrass
Magee and Ahles Group 4: ≥2 functional florets per spikelet; glumes longer than lowest lemma ... oat spikelet Danthonia spicata Poverty grass Avena sativa oats
Magee and Ahles Group 5: Functional floret 1/spikelet, this subtended by two sterile florets ... Anthoxanthum odoratum Sweet vernal grass Phalaris arundinacea Reed canary grass
Magee and Ahles Group 6: Florets in pairs, one sessile and perfect, the other pedicelled and staminate ... Schizachyrium scoparium Little bluestem Sorghastrum nutans Indian grass
Magee and Ahles Group 7: Spikelets solitary, round in cross- section or dorsiventrally compressed ... Panicum sp. Panic grass Echinochloa sp. Barnyard grass
Magee and Ahles Group 8: Spikelets solitary, laterally compressed ... Ammophila breviligulata Beachgrass Oryzopsis racemosa Black-seeded mountain ricegrass Millium effusum Millet