Poaceae

The Poaceaeare a family of monocot plants. It numbers approximately 600 genera and10 000 speciesof primarily herbaceous plantsof which 181 genera and941 species originated in South Africa.
The stems are thin, hollow, cylindrical, divided into nodes and internodes.They branch out at the base near the soil. The leaves are thin, long, simple with parallel veins. They are accreted at the base of the node which makes the stem stronger.This part is called a sheath.Sidelong there lies the so called tongue that prevents retention of moisture in the sheath and eventual decay.
The flowersare small and highly modified. They consist of three stamens and 1 seed-vessel. They are rarely unisexual, most of the time - bisexual, at the base they have the so called silica phytholiths. The flowersare in a raceme са събрани в съцветие — panicle or ear-shaped.