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]
Description
The ligule has a fringe of hairs. The inflorescence is branched around a common axis. The spikelets are all alike with two bisexual florets that are joined below the glumes (the outer floral envelopes). The lower glume is shorter than the spikelet.[3]
Phylogeny based on chloroplast DNA analyses, showing relationships of tribes within the subfamily (dashed lines indicate uncertain positions; C4 clades flagged):[1][2][4][5]
^Morrone, Osvaldo; Aagesen, Lone; Scataglini, Maria A.; Salariato, Diego L.; Denham, Silvia S.; Chemisquy, Maria A.; Sede, Silvana M.; Giussani, Liliana M.; Kellogg, Elizabeth A.; Zuloaga, Fernando O. (2012). "Phylogeny of the Paniceae (Poaceae: Panicoideae): integrating plastid DNA sequences and morphology into a new classification". Cladistics. 28 (4): 333–356. doi:10.1111/j.1096-0031.2011.00384.x. ISSN0748-3007. PMID34836451. S2CID86258463.