The Arundinoideae are a

subfamily In biological classification, a subfamily (Latin: ', plural ') is an auxiliary (intermediate) taxonomic rank, next below family but more inclusive than genus. Standard nomenclature rules end subfamily botanical names with "-oideae", and zoologi ...

of the true grass

family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...

Poaceae Poaceae () or Gramineae () is a large and nearly ubiquitous family of monocotyledonous flowering plants commonly known as grasses. It includes the cereal grasses, bamboos and the grasses of natural grassland and species cultivated in lawns an ...

with around 40 species, including

giant reed ''Arundo donax'' is a tall perennial cane. It is one of several so-called reed species. It has several common names including giant cane, elephant grass, carrizo, arundo, Spanish cane, Colorado river reed, wild cane, and giant reed. ''Arundo'' an ...

and

common reed ''Phragmites australis'', known as the common reed, is a species of plant. It is a broadly distributed wetland grass that can grow up to tall. Description ''Phragmites australis'' commonly forms extensive stands (known as reed beds), which may ...

. Unlike many other members of the

PACMAD clade The PACMAD clade (previously PACCMAD, PACCAD, or PACC) is one of two major lineages (or clades) of the true grasses (Poaceae), regrouping six subfamilies and about 5700 species, more than half of all true grasses. Its sister group is the BOP c ...

of grasses, the Arundinoideae all use C₃ photosynthesis. Their

sister group In phylogenetics, a sister group or sister taxon, also called an adelphotaxon, comprises the closest relative(s) of another given unit in an evolutionary tree. Definition The expression is most easily illustrated by a cladogram: Taxon A and t ...

is the subfamily

Micrairoideae Micrairoideae is a subfamily of the grass family Poaceae, distributed in tropical and subtropical regions. Within the PACMAD clade, it is sister to subfamily Arundinoideae. It includes roughly 190 species in nine genera. A phylogenetic class ...

. Arundinoideae used to be quite large in older taxonomic systems, with over 700 species, but most of them have been moved to other subfamilies following

phylogenetic In biology, phylogenetics (; from Greek φυλή/ φῦλον [] "tribe, clan, race", and wikt:γενετικός, γενετικός [] "origin, source, birth") is the study of the evolutionary history and relationships among or within groups o ...

analyses. Currently, species are placed in 16 genera and two tribes.

Tribes and genera

;

Arundineae Arundineae is a tribe of grasses Poaceae () or Gramineae () is a large and nearly ubiquitous family of monocotyledonous flowering plants commonly known as grasses. It includes the cereal grasses, bamboos and the grasses of natural grassla ...

::*''

Amphipogon ''Amphipogon'', the greybeard grasses, is a genus of Australian plants in the grass family. ; Species ; formerly included see '' Diplopogon Melanocenchris '' * ''Amphipogon humilis - Melanocenchris jacquemontii'' * ''Amphipogon setaceus - M ...

'' (syn. ''

Diplopogon ''Diplopogon'' is a genus of Australian plants in the grass family. It was first described in 1810 by Robert Brown. it contains only a singles species, ''Diplopogon setaceus'', found in southwestern Australia. It is similar to the genus '' Amphi ...

'') ::*''

Arundo ''Arundo'' is a genus of stout, perennial plants in the grass family. Description ''Arundo'' is native to southern Europe, North Africa, and much of temperate Asia as far east as Japan. They grow to 3–6 m tall, occasionally to 10 m, ...

'' ::*''

Dregeochloa ''Dregeochloa'' is a genus of African plants in the grass family. ''Dregeochloa'' is most remarkable for the species ''D. pumila,'' the only known example of leaf succulence in the entire grass family. ; Species * ''Dregeochloa calviniensis' ...

'' ::*''

Monachather ''Monachather'', common name mulga oats, is a genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus c ...

'' ;

Molinieae Molinieae is a tribe of grasses, containing 11 genera, including reed (''Phragmites'') and moor-grass (''Molinia''). Subtribes and genera ;Subtribe Crinipinae *''Crinipes'' *''Elytrophorus'' *'' Pratochloa'' *''Styppeiochloa'' ;Subtribe Moli ...

:Subtribe Crinipinae ::*''

Crinipes ''Crinipes'' is a genus of plants in the Poaceae−grass family native to central Africa. Species Species of ''Crinipes'' include: * '' Crinipes abyssinicus'' (Hochst. ex A. Braun) Hochst. — endemic to Ethiopia * '' Crinipes longifolius'' C. ...

'' ::*''

Elytrophorus ''Elytrophorus'' is a genus of Asian, African, and Australian plants in the grass family.Pratochloa'' ::*''

Styppeiochloa ''Styppeiochloa'' is a genus of African plants in the grass family. ; Species * '' Styppeiochloa catherineana'' Cope & Ryves - Angola * ''Styppeiochloa gynoglossa'' (Gooss.) De Winter - Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Eswatini, Cape Province, KwaZulu-Nata ...

'' :Subtribe Moliniinae ::*''

Hakonechloa ''Hakonechloa'' is a genus of bunchgrass in the tribe Molinieae of the grass family, Poaceae, native to eastern Asia. ''Hakonechloa macra'', with the common names Hakone grass and Japanese forest grass, is the only species in the monotypic genu ...

'' ::*''

Molinia ''Molinia'', or moor grass, is a genus of two species of flowering plants in the grass family, native to damp moorland in Eurasia and northern Africa. They are both herbaceous perennial grasses. The genus is named after Juan Ignacio Molina, a ...

'' ::*'' Moliniopsis'' ::*''

Phragmites ''Phragmites'' () is a genus of four species of large perennial reed grasses found in wetlands throughout temperate and tropical regions of the world. Taxonomy The World Checklist of Selected Plant Families, maintained by Kew Garden in London ...

'' :''

incertae sedis ' () or ''problematica'' is a term used for a taxonomic group where its broader relationships are unknown or undefined. Alternatively, such groups are frequently referred to as "enigmatic taxa". In the system of open nomenclature, uncertainty ...

'' ::''

Leptagrostis ''Leptagrostis'' is a genus of bunchgrasses in the tribe Molinieae of the grass family, Poaceae, native to eastern Africa. The only known species is ''Leptagrostis schimperiana''. It is endemic to Ethiopia Ethiopia, , om, Itiyoophiyaa, ...

'' ::''

Piptophyllum ''Piptophyllum'' is a genus of plants in the grass family. The only known species is ''Piptophyllum welwitschii'', native to Angola , national_anthem = " Angola Avante"() , image_map = , map_caption = ...

'' ::'' Zenkeria''

References

* * Poaceae subfamilies {{Poaceae-stub