Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Aug 1, 2026

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.

Last revised
Aug 1, 2026
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≈ 1 min
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291 w
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Micrairoideae
Isachne globosa spikelets
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Embryophytes
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Spermatophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Clade: Commelinids
Order: Poales
Family: Poaceae
Clade: PACMAD clade
Subfamily: Micrairoideae
Pilg. (1956)
Tribes

Micrairoideae is a subfamily of the grass family Poaceae, distributed in tropical and subtropical regions.1 Within the PACMAD clade, it is sister to subfamily Arundinoideae.2

It includes roughly 190 species in nine genera. A phylogenetic classification of the grasses recognises four main lineages, classified as tribes. Only species in tribe Eriachneae (genera Eriachne and Pheidochloa) have evolved the C4 photosynthetic pathway.3

Phylogeny

Relationships of tribes in the Micrairoideae according to a 2017 phylogenetic classification,4 also showing the Arundinoideae as sister group:

Arundinoideae

Micrairoideae
References

References

  1. Sánchen-Ken, J. Gabriel; Clark, Lynn G.; Kellogg, Elizabeth A.; Kay, Elma E. (2007). "Reinstatement and emendation of subfamily Micrairoideae (Poaceae)". Systematic Botany. 32 (1): 71–80. Bibcode:2007SysBo..32...71S. doi:10.1600/036364407780360102. ISSN 0363-6445. S2CID 85727105.
  2. Grass Phylogeny Working Group II (2012). "New grass phylogeny resolves deep evolutionary relationships and discovers C4 origins". New Phytologist. 193 (2): 304–312. Bibcode:2012NewPh.193..304.. doi:10.1111/j.1469-8137.2011.03972.x. hdl:2262/73271. ISSN 0028-646X. PMID 22115274. Open access icon
  3. Soreng, Robert J.; Peterson, Paul M.; Romschenko, Konstantin; Davidse, Gerrit; Zuloaga, Fernando O.; Judziewicz, Emmet J.; Filgueiras, Tarciso S.; Davis, Jerrold I.; Morrone, Osvaldo (2015). "A worldwide phylogenetic classification of the Poaceae (Gramineae)". Journal of Systematics and Evolution. 53 (2): 117–137. Bibcode:2015JSyEv..53..117S. doi:10.1111/jse.12150. hdl:11336/25248. ISSN 1674-4918. S2CID 84052108. Open access icon
  4. Soreng, Robert J.; Peterson, Paul M.; Romaschenko, Konstantin; Davidse, Gerrit; Teisher, Jordan K.; Clark, Lynn G.; Barberá, Patricia; Gillespie, Lynn J.; Zuloaga, Fernando O. (2017). "A worldwide phylogenetic classification of the Poaceae (Gramineae) II: An update and a comparison of two 2015 classifications". Journal of Systematics and Evolution. 55 (4): 259–290. Bibcode:2017JSyEv..55..259S. doi:10.1111/jse.12262. hdl:10261/240149. ISSN 1674-4918. Open access icon