Poaceae
The Poaceae (English pronunciation: /poʊˈeɪ.siˌiː/) (also called Gramineae or grasses) are a large and nearly ubiquitous family of monocotyledonous flowering plants. With more than 10,000 species, the Poaceae are the fourth-largest plant family, following the Asteraceae, Orchidaceae and Fabaceae. Though commonly called "grasses", seagrasses, rushes, and sedges fall outside this family. The rushes and sedges are related to the Poaceae, being members of the order Poales, but the seagrasses are members of order Alismatales.
Grasslands are estimated to constitute 20% of the vegetation cover of the Earth. Poaceae live in many other habitats, including wetlands, forests, and tundra.
The Poaceae are the most economically important plant family, providing staple foods from domesticated cereal crops such as maize (corn), wheat, rice, barley, and millet as well as forage, building materials (bamboo, thatch, straw) and fuel (ethanol).
Description
Grasses generally have the following characteristics (the image gallery can be used for reference):
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