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Poaceae Barnhart, nom. cons.
pronounced: poh-AY-see-eye
the grass family
Mossman River grass flowersThe name comes from the Greek ποα (poa), the grass, i.e. a grassy place. The family was previously known as Gramineae, and indeed often still is. Grasses are mostly annual or perennial herbs, terrestrial or aquatic. The stems are round and commonly hollow, at least in the internodes. The leaves are solitary at the nodes, sometimes crowded at the base of the stem, alternate and usually in 2 rows, proximally comprising an open sheathing base with overlapping margins, and distally producing a parallel-veined, strap-shaped blade. On the adaxial leaf surface, at the junction of the blade and sheath, there is often a hairy fringe of tissue known as a ligule. The basic unit of the inflorescence is a spikelet, typically consisting of a basal pair of minute chaffy bracts (glumes) and one or more distichously arranged distal florets on an often zigzag extension of the spikelet axis. Each floret is typically embraced by an additional pair of bracts, the lemma and the palea. The florets may be unisexual or bisexual. There are usually 3 or occasionally 6 stamens, a single compound pistil of 2 or 3 carpels, an equal number of styles with feathery stigmas, and a superior ovary with one locule containing a single ovule. The fruit is usually a caryopsis.
Aristida gracilipes - Three-awn Speargrass
Arundo donax - Giant Reed
Axonopus compressus - Buffalo Grass
Bambusa aurea (syn.) - Golden Bamboo
Bambusa lako - Timor Black Bamboo
Bambusa textilis var. textilis - Weavers' Bamboo
Bothriochloa pertusa - Indian Bluegrass
Cenchrus ciliaris - Buffel Grass
Cenchrus echinatus - Mossman River Grass
Chloris abyssinica (syn.) - Rhodes Grass
Chloris barbata- Swollen Fingergrass
Chloris gayana - Rhodes Grass
Chloris inflata (syn.) - Swollen Fingergrass
Coelorachis rottboellioides - Northern Cane Grass
Cymbopogon ambiguus - Scent Grass
Cymbopogon citratus - Lemon Grass
Dactyloctenium aegyptium - Coastal Button Grass
Dactyloctenium radulans - Native Button Grass
Digitaria didactyla - Queensland Blue Couch
Enneapogon lindleyanus - Lindley Nineawn
Enneapogon oblongus (syn.) - Lindley Nineawn
Enneapogon polyphyllus - Leafy Nineawn
Eragrostis cumingii - Cuming's Lovegrass
Eragrostis elongata - Clustered Lovegrass
Eriachne rara - Wanderrie Grass
Enneapogon pubescens (syn.) - Lindley Nineawn
Heteropogon contortus - Black Spear Grass
Heteropogon triticeus - Giant Spear Grass
Imperata cylindrica - Cogon Grass
Melinis repens - Red Natal Grass
Mnesithea rottboellioides (syn.) - Northern Cane Grass
Panicum maximum - Guinea Grass
Paspalum scrobiculatum - Rice Grass
Pennisetum ciliare (syn.) - Buffel Grass
Pennisetum glaucum - Pearl Millet
Pennisetum setaceum 'Rubrum' - Purple Fountain Grass
Phragmites karka - Tall Reed
Phyllostachys aurea - Golden Bamboo
Rhynchelytrum repens (syn.) - Red Natal Grass
Saccharum officinarum - Sugar Cane
Sarga plumosa (syn.) - Plume Sorghum
Setaria australiensis - Scrub Pigeon Grass
Setaria pumila - Yellow Bristle-grass
Sorghum bicolor - Sorghum
Sorghum plumosum - Plume Sorghum
Spinifex sericeus - Beach Spinifex
Sporobolus jacquemontii - Rat's Tail Grass
Sporobolus virginicus - Marine Couch
Thysanolaena maxima (syn.) - Tiger Grass
Thysanolaena latifolia - Tiger Grass
Tricholaena repens (syn.) - Red Natal Grass
Triodia stenostachya - Porcupine Grass (Spinifex)
Zea mays - Maize
Photograph © Donald Simpson 2010
Page last updated 28th March 2018