Herbs, often rhizomatous, but trees in tropical bamboos; stems jointed, round to elliptical in cross-section; with silica bodies.
Distribution
Cosmopolitan; in desert to freshwater and marine habitates, and at all but the highest elevations. Native grasslands develop where there are periodic droughts, level to gently rolling topography. frequent fires, and in some instances grazing and certain soil conditions. Communtities dominated by grasses, such as the North American prairie and plains, South American pampas, African veldt, and Eurasian steppes, account for about 24 % of the Earth vegetation.
Floral characters
Inflorescense a spike, panicle, cyme, or raceme of spikelets. Spikelet composed of an axis bearing 2-ranked and closely overlapping basal bracts and florets. Flowers small, bisexual or unisexual, usually wind-pollinated, greatly reduced in size an number of floral parts.
Leaf characters
Leaves alternate, 2-ranked, consisting of sheat, ligule, and blade. Sheats tightly encircling the stem, the margins overlapping but not fused or, occasionally, united form a tube
Stipules
present
Fruit characters
Fruit a single-seeded caryopsis (grain) with fruit wall fused to the seed, and an achene, utricle, or berry; often associated with parts of the spikelet for dispersal.
