1. Poaceae
(Gramineae)

2. The most economically important family of flowering plants ...
oats
rice
wheat
The most economically important family of flowering plants ...
sugar cane
bamboo

3. Ceres - the
Roman
goddess of agriculture

4. And the fourth largest:
600 Genera /10, 000 species worldwide
(ca. 85 genera in New England and 55
in Vermont)

5. Ecology:
Occur in practically all habitats, but specialize in dryer sites

6. Vegetative attributes:
Perennial and sometimes annual herbs
Upright stems (culms) round
Nodes swollen
Internodes hollow
Leaves two-ranked, sheaths
split
Ligule often present

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

8. Floral Formula:

9. Florets are enclosed by two bracts, the palea and the lemma
rachilla

11. Florets are arranged in spikelets, these subtended by a pair of glumes

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

14. Inflorescences Various
raceme
panicle
spike

15. 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

16. (First a couple of oddballs …)
The major groups:
(First a couple of oddballs …)

17. Spikelets enclosed in a spiny bur ...
Cenchrus longispinus
Field sandbur

18. Spikelets all unisexual, plants monoecious ...
Zizania aquatica
Wild rice

19. Glumes absent; spikelets strongly flattened ... Leersia oryzoides
Rice cutgrass

20. Spikelets in two or more rows on one side of the rachis ...
Magee and Ahles Group 1:
Spikelets in two or more rows on one side of the rachis ...
Spartina pectinata
Freshwater cordgrass

21. Spikelets sessile on the rachis, forming a bilateral spike ...
Magee and Ahles Group 2:
Spikelets sessile on the rachis, forming a bilateral spike ...
Elytrigia repens
Quackgrass
Lolium perenne
Ryegrass

22. ≥2 functional florets/spikelet; glumes shorter than lowest lemma ...
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

23. Magee and Ahles Group 4:
≥2 functional florets per spikelet; glumes longer than lowest lemma ...
oat spikelet
Danthonia spicata
Poverty grass
Avena sativa
oats

24. Anthoxanthum odoratum
Magee and Ahles Group 5:
Functional floret 1/spikelet, this subtended by two sterile florets ...
Phalaris arundinacea
Reed canary grass
Anthoxanthum odoratum
Sweet vernal grass

25. Schizachyrium scoparium
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

26. Magee and Ahles Group 7:
Spikelets solitary, round in cross- section or dorsiventrally compressed ...
Panicum sp.
Panic grass
Echinochloa sp.
Barnyard grass

27. Spikelets solitary, laterally compressed ...
Magee and Ahles Group 8:
Spikelets solitary, laterally compressed ...
Ammophila breviligulata
Beachgrass
Oryzopsis racemosa
Black-seeded mountain ricegrass
Millium effusum
Millet