Description of the family:
Annual or perennial herbs, rarely woody, often with rhizomes or stolons. Culms usually cylindric, usually hollow but solid at the nodes. Leaves: alternate, 2-ranked, simple, consisting of sheath, ligule and lamina; sheath surrounding the stem, usually open; ligule usually present at junction of sheath and lamina, membranous, a row of hairs or 0; lam the na linear to filiform, rarely lanceolate or ovate. Inflorescence consisting of numerous spikelets arranged in a spike, raceme or panicle. The basic unit of the inflorescence is the spikelet, consisting of a number of florets arranged distichously along an axis (rhachilla). At the base of the spikelet are 2 (rarely 0, 1 or more than 2) empty bracts (glumes). Each floret is enclosed within an outer bract (lemma) and an inner bracteole (palea). The palea is usually membranous and 2-keeled, the lemma is usually tougher and often awned. The lemma, palea and flowering parts are together called the floret. Flowers usually bisexual, but sometimes unisexual. Perianth represented by 2(-3) minute hyaline fleshy scales (lodicules). The base of the spikelet or floret may have a horny prolongation downwards (callus). Stamens (1-)3(-6); anthers versatile. Ovary superior, 1-locular with 1 ovule often attached to the adaxial side of the loculus, to a point or line visible in fruit as the hilum. Styles (1-)2(-3), generally with plumose stigmas. Fruit 1-seeded, usually a caryopsis, rarely with seed free from the pericarp.
Worldwide:
668 genera and 9,500 species, cosmopolitan, but especially tropical and northern temperate sub-arid areas.
Zimbabwe:
150 genera and 593 taxa.
- Acrachne Wight & Arn. ex Chiov.
- Acroceras Stapf
- Agrostis L.
- Aira L. Description
- Alloteropsis C. Presl
- Andropogon L.
- Andropterum Stapf
- Anthephora Schreb.
- Aristida L.
- Arthraxon P. Beauv.
- Arundinella Raddi
- Arundo L.
- Avena L.
- Axonopus P. Beauv.
- Bambusa Schreb.
- Bewsia Gooss.
- Bothriochloa Kuntze
- Brachyachne (Benth.) Stapf
- Brachypodium P. Beauv.
- Briza L.
- Bromus L.
- Capillipedium Stapf
- Cenchrus L.
- Chloris Sw.
- Chrysopogon Trin.
- Cleistachne Benth.
- Coelachne R. Br.
- Coelorachis Brongn.
- Coix L. Description
- Craspedorhachis Benth.
- Ctenium Panz.
- Cymbopogon Spreng.
- Cynodon Rich.
- Dactylis L.
- Dactyloctenium Willd.
- Danthoniopsis Stapf
- Dichanthium Willemet
- Digitaria Haller
- Diheteropogon (Hack.) Stapf
- Dinebra Jacq.
- Echinochloa P. Beauv.
- Ehrharta Thunb.
- Eleusine Gaertn.
- Elionurus Kunth ex Willd.
- Elymandra Stapf
- Elytrophorus P. Beauv.
- Enneapogon Desv. ex P. Beauv.
- Enteropogon Nees
- Eragrostis Wolf
- Eriochloa Kunth
- Eriochrysis P. Beauv.
- Euclasta Franch.
- Eulalia Kunth
- Eustachys Desv.
- Festuca L.
- Fingerhuthia Nees
- Habrochloa C.E. Hubb.
- Hackelochloa Kuntze
- Harpachne Hochst. ex A. Rich.
- Hemarthria R.Br.
- Heteropogon Pers.
- Holcus L.
- Hylebates Chippind.
- Hyparrhenia Fourn.
- Hyperthelia Clayton
- Imperata Cirillo
- Isachne R. Br.
- Ischaemum L.
- Koeleria Pers.
- Leersia Sw.
- Leptaspis R. Br.
- Leptocarydion Stapf
- Leptochloa P. Beauv.
- Lepturus R. Br.
- Lintonia Stapf
- Lolium L.
- Lophacme Stapf
- Loudetia Steud.
- Loxodera Launert
- Megaloprotachne C.E. Hubb.
- Megastachya P. Beauv.
- Melinis P. Beauv.
- Microchloa R.Br.
- Microstegium Nees
- Miscanthus Andersson
- Monocymbium Stapf
- Nematopoa C.E. Hubb.
- Odyssea Stapf
- Olyra L.
- Oplismenus P. Beauv.
- Oreobambos K.Schum.
- Oropetium Trin.
- Oryza L.
- Oryzidium C.E. Hubb. & Schweick.
- Oxytenanthera Munro
- Panicum L.
- Paspalidium Stapf
- Paspalum L.
- Pentaschistis (Nees) Spach
- Perotis Aiton
- Phacelurus Griseb.
- Phalaris L.
- Phragmites Adans.
- Phyllorachis Trimen
- Poa L.
- Poecilostachys Hack.
- Pogonarthria Stapf
- Pogonochloa C.E. Hubb.
- Polypogon Desf.
- Pseudechinolaena Stapf
- Pseudobromus K. Schum.
- Rhytachne Desv. ex Ham.
- Rottboellia L.f.
- Rytidosperma Steud.
- Sacciolepis Nash
- Sartidia De Winter
- Schizachyrium Nees
- Schmidtia Steud. ex J.A. Schmidt
- Schoenefeldia Kunth
- Sehima Forssk.
- Setaria P. Beauv.
- Sorghastrum Nash
- Sorghum Moench
- Sporobolus R. Br.
- Stenotaphrum Trin.
- Stereochlaena Hack.
- Stipagrostis Nees
- Streblochaete Pilg.
- Styppeiochloa De Winter
- Tetrapogon Desf.
- Thelepogon Roem. & Schult.
- Themeda Forssk.
- Trachypogon Nees
- Tragus Haller
- Tribolium Desv.
- Tricholaena Schrad. ex Schult. & Schult. f.
- Trichoneura Andersson
- Trichopteryx Nees
- Tripogon Roem. & Schult.
- Triraphis R. Br.
- Trisetopsis Röser & Wölk, A.
- Tristachya Nees
- Triticum L.
- Urelytrum Hack.
- Urochloa P. Beauv.
- Vossia Wall. & Griff.
- Willkommia Hack.
- Zea L. Description
- Zonotriche (C.E. Hubb.) J.B. Phipps