Botanical Family · Poales
Poaceae
Grass family
80 speciesOrder Poales8+ well-known plants
The grass family — arguably the most important plant family to human civilisation, providing rice, wheat, maize, sugarcane, bamboo, and fodder. Grasses dominate vast grassland biomes and are characterised by hollow jointed stems (culms), narrow blade-like leaves, and inconspicuous wind-pollinated flowers.
Browse all 80 species ↓
Hollow stems with swollen nodes ('knees'); wind-pollinated flowers with no petals, wrapped in modified leaf-like bracts.
The world's staple grains — rice, wheat, millet, sugarcane — belong here; the lack of showy petals reflects pollination by wind rather than insects.
Which Poaceae species is this?
Answer what you can see and narrow it down to a single Poaceae species.
HabitWhat is the plant's growth habit?
Herb
Low creeping/mat-forming grass
Shrub
Succulent
Tall reed-like grass
Tree
Tufted grass
Woody bamboo (thick jointed canes)
Fruit SurfaceIs the seed head spiny or burr-like?
Smooth, not spiny
Spiny/burr-like
Fruit SurfaceIs the seed head spiny or burr-like?
Smooth, not spiny
Spiny/burr-like
How to recognise the Poaceae family
- 01
Hollow jointed culm (stem)
- 02
Linear leaves with sheath and ligule
- 03
Small wind-pollinated florets (spikelets)
Typical leaf characters
Characters typical of the family — individual species can vary.
Typical flower & fruit
- Flower symmetryActinomorphic (radially symmetrical)
- InflorescenceSpike
- FruitGrain
Typical of the family — flowering plants only; species can vary.
Notable members
Glutene-Rice GrassApluda muticaGlutene-Rice GrassApluda mutica var. aristataBroom GrassAristida setaceaSlender Tall ReedgrassArundinella leptochloaReed GrassArundinella setosaCana Brava, Carrizo, Giant Red, Wild CaneArundo donaxThorny Bamboo, Bamboo, Spiny BambooBambusa arundinaceaGolden Bamboo, Yellow BambooBambusa vulgaris
All 80 species in POACEAE
- Glutene-Rice GrassApluda mutica
- Glutene-Rice GrassApluda mutica var. aristata
- Broom GrassAristida setacea
- Slender Tall ReedgrassArundinella leptochloa
- Reed GrassArundinella setosa
- Cana Brava, Carrizo, Giant Red, Wild CaneArundo donax
- Thorny Bamboo, Bamboo, Spiny BambooBambusa arundinacea
- Golden Bamboo, Yellow BambooBambusa vulgaris
- BajraCenchrus americanus
- Indian SandburCenchrus biflorus
- Fountain GrassCenchrus setaceus
- Finger GrassChloris barbata
- Love GrassChrysopogon aciculatus
- Reddish-Yellow BeardgrassChrysopogon fulvus
- VetiverChrysopogon zizanioides
- Job's Tear GrassCoix lacryma-jobi
- Broad-Leaved Turpentine GrassCymbopogon caesius
- Lemon GrassCymbopogon citratus
- Ginger Grass, East Indian Lemon Grass, Lemon Grass, Malabar Or Cochin Lemongrass, Indian LemongrassCymbopogon flexuosus
- Roha Grass, Rusa Grass, Geranium Grass, Palmarosa, Lemon GrassCymbopogon martini
- Dhub Grass, Bermuda Grass, Bahama Grass, Conch Grasss, Dog's Grass, Hariali GrassCynodon dactylon
- Egyptian Grass, Egyptian Finger Grass, Crow Foor GrassDactyloctenium aegyptium
- Giant BambooDendrocalamus giganteus
- Male Bamboo, Solid BambooDendrocalamus strictus
- Kleberg's BluestemDichanthium annulatum
- Asian CrabgrassDigitaria bicornis
- East Indian Crab Grass, Mau'u-Kukaepua'a, Itchy CrabgrassDigitaria setigera
- Viper GrassDinebra retroflexa
- Jungle Rice, Corn PanicgrassEchinochloa colona
- Ragi, Finger Millet, African Millet, Ragi CerealEleusine coracana
- Goose GrassEleusine indica
- Teff GrassEragrostiella bifaria
- Thalia LovegrassEragrostis atrovirens
- Elastic GrassEragrostis tenuifolia
- Chinese LovegrassEragrostis unioloides
- Sticky Love GrassEragrostis viscosa
- Tall LawngrassGarnotia elata
- Tangle Head Grass, Spear GrassHeteropogon contortus
- Poor Indian GrassIndopoa paupercula
- Swamp MilletIsachne globosa
- Arrowleaf Muraina GrassIschaemum semisagittatum
- Jansen GrassJansenella griffithiana
- Desert Black-MilletMelanocenchris jacquemontii
- Natal GrassMelinis repens
- Burmann's BasketgrassOplismenus burmannii
- Awned Panick GrassOplismenus compositus
- St Thomas Mount RockgrassOropetium thomaeum
- Guinea GrassPanicum maximum
- Peatl Millet, Bulrush Millet, Spiked MilletPennisetum americanum
- Annual Kyasuwa GrassPennisetum pedicellatum
- Mission GrassPennisetum polystachion
- Indian Comet GrassPerotis indica
- Fishpole BambooPhyllostachys aurea
- Indian Christmas GrassPseudanthistiria heteroclita
- Sugar Cane, Noble CaneSaccharum officinarum
- Thatch Grass, Wild Sugar Cane, Kans GrassSaccharum spontaneum
- Interrupted Cupscale GrassSacciolepis interrupta
- Serillo DulceSchizachyrium brevifolium
- Indian Millet, Fox-Tail MilletSetaria italica
- Yellow Fx-Tail Grass, Yellow BristlegrassSetaria pumila
- Hooked Bristle GrassSetaria verticillata
- Broom-Corn, Great Millet, Suger Sorghum, Shattercane, SorghumSorghum bicolor
- Ravanna's MoustacheSpinifex littoreus
- Stalked-Leaf Beard GrassSpodiopogon rhizophorus
- Drop Seed GrassSporobolus diander
- Kangaroo GrassThemeda triandra
- Tiger GrassThysanolaena latifolia
- Himalayan Fiveminute GrassTripogon purpurascens
- Aeluropus lagopodioides
- Arundinella ciliata
- Chionachne koenigii
- Cymbopogon coloratus
- Dimeria balakrishnaniana
- Enteropogon monostachyos
- Glyphochloa acuminata var. acuminata
- Isachne veldkampii
- Ischaemum commutatum
- Ochlandra scriptoria
- Paspalidium punctatum
- Setaria intermedia
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