The Family Poaceae

The Poaceae (Grass Family) is comprised of approximately 11,000 species worldwide. It is represented in North America, north of Mexico by over 1300 species. The Poaceae is the 4th largest family of flowering plants (by species number). Economically, the grasses are the most important group of plants on our planet. Grains such as wheat, rice, corn, barley, and oats feed the people and the livestock of the world. Turf grasses cover the lawns, athletic fields, and golf courses of our communities. And bamboos are used as construction materials in many parts of the world.

Identifying grasses is often very difficult, even for the well-trained taxonomist. Interactive keys are the latest tool to aid in identification. We have created various keys for the identification of the grasses of North America, north of Mexico. Please feel free to contact us with any feedback regarding our keys.