Panicoideae | |
---|---|
Miscanthus sinensis in Tonomine Highlands, Japan | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Monocots |
Clade: | Commelinids |
Order: | Poales |
Family: | Poaceae |
Clade: | PACMAD clade |
Subfamily: | Panicoideae A.Braun (1864) |
Tribes | |
12 tribes, see text | |
Synonyms[1] | |
|
Panicoideae is the second-largest subfamily of the grasses with over 3,500 species, mainly distributed in warm temperate and tropical regions.[1] It comprises some important agricultural crops, including sugarcane, maize (or corn), sorghum, and switchgrass.
C4 photosynthesis evolved independently a number of times in the subfamily, which presumably had a C3 ancestor.[2]