POACEAE
NB Gramineae is a synonym of Poaceae
Morphological description
Stems usually hollow, leaves two ranked. Stem woody (Bambusoideae). Sometimes broadleaved forest grass (Scrotochloa).
Leaves
Leaves simple, entire, consisting of an elongate sheath and a linear blade with a ligule at base; stem jointed.
Inflorescence
Inflorescence jointed (Coelorhachis, Rottboellia).
Flowers
Flower uni-or bisexual with perianth reduced to bristles or scales, each subtented by a pair of bracts (lemma and palea).
Fruit
Fruit an achene. Sometimes achenes sticky (Scrotochloa).
Different from: Cyperaceae: stem not jointed, mostly solid, often triangular, no ligule, leaves mostly three ranked.
Distribution: Cosmopolitan; in Malesia c. 150 genera from sea level to alpine zone, best represented in open places, many species weedy.
Notes: Food: Oryza (rice), Zea (corn), Andropogon, Coix, Sorghum; sugar: Saccharum; vegetables: several Bambusoideae, Panicum palmifolium, Saccharum edule. — Medicinal use and spices: Andropogon, Cymbopogon. — House building, plaiting, etc.: several Bambusoideae. — Several species used as ornamentals, for lawns etc.
Literature: N.L. Bor, The grasses of Burma, Ceylon, India, and Pakistan (1960); F.A. MacClure, The Bamboos (1966); A. Henty, A manual of the grasses of New Guinea (1969); H.B. Gilliland, Flora of Malaya III (1971). — Dr. J.F. Veldkamp (L) is revising the family for Flora Malesiana except the Bambusoideae which are done by Dr. S. Dransfield (K) and Dr. E.A. Widjaja (BO).
Spot characters (Van Balgooy): Gramineae 76, 95 - Bambusoideae 3, 29 - Anthoxanthum 23 - Danthonia (Monostachya) 1 - Dinochloa 5 - Isachne 1 - Muehlenbergia 23 - Nastus 5 - Poa 1 - Racemobambos 5.
Illustrations: Fig. 74. Eragrostis tenella (L.) Beauv. ex R. & S.: a. ligule; b-d. spikelet; e. lower glume; f. upper glume; g. lemma; h. floret; i & j. palea; k. caryopsis (Courtesy Koninklijk Instituut voor de Tropen, Amsterdam). Fig. 75. Gigantochloa levis (Blanco) Merr. (Courtesy Reinwardtia, Bogor).
Synonym of Poaceae
Image in PhytoImages for Poaceae