Poaceae Barnhart. Common name: Grass Family.

Key to Poaceae

A family of about 771 genera and 12,074 species, herbs (and some shrubs and trees), cosmopolitan. Tribal classification largely follows FNA (2003a, 2007a), with some changes based on subsequent research, as for instance in the Chloridoideae (Peterson, Romaschenko, & Johnson 2010a). Key to genera adapted in large part from FNA. Subtribal classification of the Andropogoneae is from Welker et al. (2020).

Grass classification from Soreng et al. (2015).

“BOP” CLADE
subfamily Oryzoideae {or Ehrhartioideae? See Kellogg 2015 in Kubitzki}
tribe Oryzeae
subtribe Oryzinae: Leersia, Oryza
subtribe Zizaniinae: Luziola, Zizania, Zizaniopsis
subfamily Bambusoideae
supertribe Arundinarodae
tribe Arundinarieae
subtribe Arundinariinae: Arundinaria, Phyllostachys, Pleioblastus, Pseudosasa, Sasa
supertribe Bambusoideae
tribe Bambuseae
subtribe Bambusinae: Bambusa
subfamily Pooideae
tribe Brachyelytreae: Brachyelytrum
tribe Meliceae: Glyceria, Melica, Schizachne
tribe Stipeae: Eriocoma, Nassella, Oryzopsis, Patis, Piptatheropsis, Piptatherum, Piptochaetium
tribe Diarrheneae: Diarrhena
tribe Brachypodieae: Brachypodium
supertribe Poodae
tribe Poeae (CHLOROPLAST GROUP 1 Aveneae type)
subtribe Torreyochloinae: Amphibromus, Torreyochloa
subtribe Aveninae: Arrhenatherum, Avena, Koeleria, Lagurus, Rostraria, Sphenopholis, Trisetum
subtribe Phalaridinae: Phalaris
subtribe Anthoxanthinae: Anthoxanthum
subtribe Brizinae: Briza
subtribe Agrostidinae: Agrostis, Ammophila, Calamagrostis, Gastridium, Lachnagrostis, Limnodea, Polypogon
tribe Poeae (CHLOROPLAST GROUP 2 Poeae type)
incertae sedis: Avenula
subtribe Coleanthinae: Puccinellia, Sclerochloa
subtribe Miliinae: Milium
subtribe Poinae: Alopecurus, Apera, Beckmannia, Cinna, Phleum, Poa
subtribe Airinae: Aira, Avenella
subtribe Holcinae: Deschampsia, Holcus
subtribe Loliinae: Festuca (incl. Vulpia), Lolium (incl. Schedonorus)
subtribe Dactylidinae: Dactylis
subtribe Cynosurinae: Cynosurus
subtribe Parapholiinae: Desmazeria, Hainardia, Parapholis
supertribe Triticodae
tribe Bromeae: Bromus
tribe Triticeae
subtribe Hordeinae: Agropyron, Elymus, Hordeum, Pascopyrum, Secale
subtribe Triticinae: Aegilops, Thinopyrum, Triticum
“PACMAD” CLADE
subfamily Aristidoideae
tribe Aristideae: Aristida
subfamily Panicoideae
tribe Chasmanthieae: Chasmanthium
supertribe Panicodae
tribe Paniceae
incertae sedis: Sacciolepis
subtribe Anthephorinae: Digitaria
subtribe Dichantheliinae: Dichanthelium
subtribe Boivinellinae: Alloteropsis, Amphicarpum, Echinochloa, Oplismenus
subtribe Melinidinae: Eriochloa, Megathyrsus, Melinis, Urochloa
subtribe Panicinae: Panicum
subtribe Cenchrinae: Cenchrus (incl. Pennisetum), Setaria, Paspalidium?, Stenotaphrum
tribe Paspaleae
subtribe Paspalinae: Axonopus, Paspalum
subtribe Otachyriinae: Hymenachne, Steinchisma
subtribe Arthropogoninae: Coleataenia, Phanopyrum
supertribe Andropogonodae
tribe Andropogoneae
incertae sedis: Chrysopogon, Imperata, Tripidium
subtribe Arthraxoninae: Arthraxon
subtribe Tripsacinae: Tripsacum, Zea
subtribe Coicinae: Coix
subtribe Rottboelliinae: Elionurus, Eremochloa, Mnesithea (incl. Coelorachis, Hackelochloa), Rottboellia
subtribe Sorghinae: Sorghastrum, Sorghum
subtribe Saccharinae: Erianthus, Microstegium, Miscanthus, Saccharum s.s.
subtribe Andropogoninae: Andropogon, Hyparrhenia, Schizachyrium
subtribe Anthistiriinae: Bothriochloa, Heteropogon
subfamily Arundinoideae
tribe Arundineae: Arundo
tribe Molinieae: Molinia, Phragmites
subfamily Danthonioideae
tribe Danthonieae: Cortaderia, Danthonia
subfamily Chloridoideae
tribe Eragrostideae
subtribe Unioliinae: Uniola
subtribe Eragrostidinae: Eragrostis, Neeragrostis
tribe Zoysieae
subtribe Zoysiinae: Zoysia
subtribe Sporobolinae: Sporobolus , Calamovilfa, Crypsis, Spartina)
tribe Cynodonteae
incertae sedis: Dactyloctenium
subtribe Gouiniinae: Triplasis
subtribe Cteniinae: Ctenium
subtribe Gymnopogoninae: Gymnopogon
subtribe Eleusininae: Chloris, Cynodon, Dinebra, Diplachne, Disakisperma, Eleusine, Enteropogon, Eustachys, Leptochloa, Lepturus
subtribe Pappophorinae: Tridens
subtribe Traginae: Tragus
subtribe Monanthochloinae: Distichlis (incl. Monanthochloa)
subtribe Boutelouinae: Bouteloua (incl. Buchloe, Opizia)
subtribe Muhlenbergiinae: Muhlenbergia

Key advice:The key to bamboos based on Stapleton (2007). Other genera are grown and may be expected to persist and vegetatively spread or potentially truly naturalize in our area.

References: Blomquist (1948); Clark & Kellogg (2007) In Flora of North America Editorial Committee (2007a); Delfini et al. (2023); Hitchcock & Chase (1951); Kellogg (2015); Peterson, Romaschenko, & Johnson (2010a); Peterson, Romaschenko, & Johnson (2010b); Welker et al. (2020). Show full citations.

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