Danthonioideae is a mainly southern hemisphere

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 ...

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 grassland and species cultivated in lawns and ...

, containing the single tribe Danthonieae and one unplaced genus, with altogether roughly 300 species. It includes

herb In general use, herbs are a widely distributed and widespread group of plants, excluding vegetables and other plants consumed for macronutrients, with savory or aromatic properties that are used for flavoring and garnishing food, for medicinal ...

aceous to partially

wood Wood is a porous and fibrous structural tissue found in the stems and roots of trees and other woody plants. It is an organic materiala natural composite of cellulose fibers that are strong in tension and embedded in a matrix of lignin th ...

y perennial or annual (less common) grasses that grow in open grasslands, shrublands, and woodlands. It belongs to the

PACMAD 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 ...

clade of grasses, but unlike some other lineages in that clade, grasses in the Danthonioideae exclusively use the C₃ photosynthetic pathway. Its

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

Chloridoideae Chloridoideae is one of the largest subfamilies of grasses, with roughly 150 genera and 1,600 species, mainly found in arid tropical or subtropical grasslands. Within the PACMAD clade, their sister group are the Danthonioideae. The subfamily ...

. There are 19 genera, 18 of which are placed in tribe Danthonieae, while one is as yet unplaced (''

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 ...

''). The relationships within the group are complicated; conflicting

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 ...

evidence from

nuclear Nuclear may refer to: Physics Relating to the nucleus of the atom: * Nuclear engineering *Nuclear physics *Nuclear power *Nuclear reactor *Nuclear weapon *Nuclear medicine *Radiation therapy *Nuclear warfare Mathematics *Nuclear space *Nuclear ...

and

chloroplast DNA Chloroplast DNA (cpDNA) is the DNA located in chloroplasts, which are photosynthetic organelles located within the cells of some eukaryotic organisms. Chloroplasts, like other types of plastid, contain a genome separate from that in the cell nu ...

suggests that hybridisation events played an important role in the Danthonioideae. *''incertae sedis'': *: ''

Danthonidium ''Danthonidium'' is a genus of Indian plants in the grass family. The only known species is ''Danthonidium gammiei'', native to the State of Maharashtra in India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asi ...

'' * tribe Danthonieae: *: ''

Austroderia ''Austroderia'' is a genus of five species of tall grasses native to New Zealand, commonly known as toetoe.

'', ''

Capeochloa ''Capeochloa'' is a genus of South African plants in the grass family. ; Species * ''Capeochloa arundinacea'' (P.J.Bergius) N.P.Barker & H.P.Linder * ''Capeochloa cincta'' (Nees) N.P.Barker & H.P.Linder * '' Capeochloa setacea'' (N.P.Barker) N.P ...

'', '' Chaetobromus'', '' Chimaerochloa'', '' Chionochloa'', ''

Cortaderia ''Cortaderia'' is a genus of South American and Central American plants in the Poaceae grass family. Etymology The common name pampas grass, though strictly referring to ''C. selloana'', is frequently applied to all species in the genus (and so ...

'' (syn. ''Lamprothyrsus''), ''

Danthonia ''Danthonia'' is a genus of Eurasian, North African, and American plants in the grass family. Members of this genus are sometimes referred to as oatgrass, but that common name is not restricted to this genus. Other common names include heathgra ...

'', ''

Geochloa ''Geochloa'' is a genus of South African plants in the grass family. ; Species * ''Geochloa decora'' (Nees) N.P.Barker & H.P.Linder - Cape Province * ''Geochloa lupulina'' (L.f.) N.P.Barker & H.P.Linder - Cape Province * ''Geochloa rufa'' (Nees) ...

'', ''

Merxmuellera ''Merxmuellera'' is a genus of African grasses named for Hermann Merxmueller, a 20th century German botanist and taxonomist who was an expert on African flora. Species ''Merxmuellera'' contains the following species: * '' Merxmuellera ambalavao ...

'', ''

Notochloe ''Notochloe'' is a genus of Australian plants in the grass family. ;Species The only known species is ''Notochloe microdon'', found only in New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = ...

'', ''

Pentameris ''Pentameris'' is a genus of plants in the grass family, native primarily to Africa, with a few species in Yemen and on certain islands in the Indian Ocean. A significant number of species are endemic to South Africa.Linder, Hans Peter, et al. ...

'' (syn. ''

Pentaschistis ''Pentaschistis'' is a genus of grass in the family Poaceae. It includes the following species: * ''Pentaschistis chrysurus'' * ''Pentaschistis dolichochaeta'' * ''Pentaschistis mannii ''Pentaschistis mannii'' is a species of grass in the fa ...

'', ''Poagrostis'', ''Prionanthium''), '' Phaenanthoecium'', '' Plinthanthesis'', '' Pseudopentameris'', ''

Rytidosperma ''Rytidosperma'' is a genus of plants in the grass family. Most of the species occur in Australasia, with a few in insular Southeast Asia, southern South America (Chile + Argentina), and certain islands of the Pacific (Hawaii + Easter Island).

'' (syn. ''Austrodanthonia'', ''Monostachya'', ''Notodanthonia'', ''Pyrrhantherea''), ''

Schismus ''Schismus'' is a genus of African and Eurasian plants in the grass family. Two species are naturalized in North America, where they are known as Mediterranean grass. ; Species * '' Schismus arabicus'' - Greece, North Africa, East Africa, Asia ...

'' (syn. ''

Karroochloa ''Tribolium '' is a genus of African plants in the Poaceae, grass family, native to South Africa and neighboring countries. ; Species References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q2803063 Danthonioideae Poaceae genera ...

''), ''

Tenaxia ''Tenaxia'' is a genus of Asian and African plants in the grass family. ; Species * '' Tenaxia aureocephala'' (J.G.Anderson) N.P.Barker & H.P.Linder - KwaZulu-Natal * '' Tenaxia cachemyriana'' (Jaub. & Spach) N.P.Barker & H.P.Linder - Afghanista ...

'', '' Tribolium''

References

External links

* * Poaceae subfamilies Grasses of Africa Grasses of Asia Grasses of North America Grasses of Oceania Grasses of South America {{Poaceae-stub