List of Poaceae genera

Poaceae, also known as the true grasses, is the fifth largest plant family in the world with around 12,000 species and roughly 800 genera. They contain, among others, the cereal crop species and other plants of economic importance, such as the bamboos, and several important weeds.

Grasses probably originated in the understory of tropical rainforests in the Late Cretaceous, but have since come to occupy a wide range of different habitats. Notably, they are the dominant species in grasslands, open habitats that cover around one fifth of the earth's terrestrial surface. The C4 photosynthetic pathway has evolved at least 22 times independently in the grasses; C4 species are more competitive than C3 plants in open habitats with high light intensity and warm temperatures.

The deeper relationships in the family have been resolved by recent molecular phylogenetic work. This has been translated into a modern classification which divides the grasses into twelve subfamilies and a number of tribes, with large tribes further divided into subtribes.

Anomochlooideae, Pharoideae and Puelioideae are early diverging lineages containing only a few species. Most of the diversity falls into the two big BOP and PACMAD clades, which each contain roughly half of the family's species. C4 lineages have only evolved in the PACMAD clade, whereas many lineages in the BOP clade have evolved adaptations to cold climate.

While the higher-level classification of the grasses is now relatively well understood, taxonomic efforts continue at the species and genera level, and with continuing phylogenetic research, a number of names is likely to change. The list of genera below is therefore likely to evolve with further study.

Genera 809 genera are currently accepted:Poaceae Barnhart. Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 13 May 2025.

A

Aakia Achnatherum Aciachne Acidosasa Acostia Acrachne Acritochaete Acroceras Acrospelion Actinocladum Adenochloa Aegilops × Aegilotriticum Aeluropus Aemulanthus Afrotrichloris Agenium Agnesia × Agroelymus (Agropyron × Elymus) × Agropogon (Agrostis × Polypogon) Agropyron Agropyropsis Agrostis Agrostopoa Agrostula × Agrothinopyrum (Agropyron × Thinopyrum) Aira Airopsis Alexfloydia Alloeochaete Allolepis Alloteropsis Alopecurus Alpagrostis Altoparadisium Alvimia Amelichloa Ammochloa Ammophila – synonym of Calamagrostis Ampelocalamus Ampelodesmos Amphibromus Amphicarpum Amphipogon Anadelphia Anatherum Ancistrachne Ancistragrostis Andropogon Andropterum Anemanthele Aniselytron Anisopogon Annamocalamus Anomochloa Anthaenantiopsis Anthaenantia Anthephora Anthosachne Anthoxanthum Antinoria Apera Apluda Apochiton – synonym of Coelachyrum Apochloa Apoclada Apocopis Arberella Arctagrostis × Arctodupontia (Arctophila × Dupontia) Arctohyalopoa Arctophila – synonym of Dupontia Arctopoa Aristida Arrhenatherum Arthraxon Arthropogon Arthrostylidium Arundinaria Arundinella Arundo Arundoclaytonia Asthenochloa Astrebla Athroostachys Atractantha Aulonemia Aulonemiella Australopyrum Austrochloris Austroderia Austrostipa Avellinia Avena Avenella Avenula Axonopus

B

Bambusa Baptorhachis Barkworthia Bashania Batochloa Beckmannia Bellardiochloa Bergbambos Bewsia Bhidea Blepharidachne Boldrinia Bonia Borinda Bothriochloa Bouteloua Brachychloa Brachyelytrum Brachypodium Brachystachyum Brasilochloa Briza Bromuniola Bromus Brylkinia Buergersiochloa

C

Calamagrostis Calamovilfa – synonym of Sporobolus Calamtrisetum Calotheca Calyptochloa Cambajuva × Campeiordeum (Campeiostachys × Hordeum) Campeiostachys × Campeyilia (Campeiostachys × Kengyilia) Canastra Capeochloa Capillipedium Castellia Catabrosa Catabrosella Catalepis × Catanellia (Catabrosa × Puccinellia) Catapodium Cathariostachys Celtica Cenchrus Centotheca Centropodia Cephalostachyum Chaetium Chaetobromus Chaetopoa Chamaeraphis Chandrasekharania Chascolytrum Chasechloa Chasmanthium Chasmopodium Chevalierella Chikusichloa Chimaerochloa Chimonobambusa Chimonocalamus Chionachne – synonym of Polytoca Chionochloa Chloothamnus Chloris Chlorocalymma Chrysochloa Chrysopogon Chusquea Ciliochloa Cinna Cinnagrostis Cinnastrum Cladoraphis Clausospicula Cleistachne – synonym of Sorghum Cleistochloa Cleistogenes Cnidochloa Cochinchinochloa Coelachne Coelachyrum Coelorachis – synonym of Eremochloa Coix Colanthelia Coleanthus Coleataenia Colpodium Condilorachia Cornucopiae – synonym of Alopecurus Cortaderia Corynephorus Cottea Craspedorhachis Crinipes Crithopsis Crypsis – symptom of Sporobolus Cryptachne Cryptochloa Ctenium Cutandia Cyathopus Cymbopogon × Cynochloris (Chloris × Cynodon) Cynodon Cynosurus Cyperochloa Cyphochlaena Cyphonanthus Cyrtochloa Cyrtococcum

D

Dactylis Dactyloctenium Daknopholis Danthonia Danthoniastrum Danthonidium Danthoniopsis Dasyochloa – synonym of Munroa Dasypyrum × Dasyticum (Dasypyrum × Triticum) Davidsea Decaryella Decaryochloa Dendrocalamus Deschampsia Desmazeria Desmostachya Diandrolyra Diarrhena Dichaetaria Dichanthelium Dichanthium Dichelachne – synonym of Pentapogon Didymogonyx Diectomis Digitaria Dignathia Diheteropogon Dilophotriche Dimeria Dimorphochloa Dinebra Dinochloa Diplachne Disakisperma Dissanthelium – synonym of Poa Dissochondrus Distichlis Drakkaria Dregeochloa Drepanostachyum Dryopoa Dupontia Dupontiopsis × Dupontopoa (Dupontia × Poa) Duthiea

E

Eccoptocarpha Echinaria Echinochloa Echinolaena Echinopogon Ectrosia - synonym of Eragrostis Ehrharta Ekmanochloa Eleusine Elionurus Ellisochloa × Elyhordeum (Elymus × Hordeum) × Elyleymus (Elymus × Leymus) Elymandra × Elymostachys (Elymus × Psathyrostachys) Elymus Elytrigia – synonym of Elymus Elytrophorus Elytrostachys Enneapogon Enteropogon Entolasia Entoplocamia Eragrostiella Eragrostis Eremitis Eremocaulon Eremochloa Eremopyrum Eriachne Erianthecium Erianthus Eriochloa Eriochrysis Eriocoma Erioneuron × Eriosella (Eriocoma × Nassella) Euclasta Eulalia Eulaliopsis Eustachys Exotheca

F

Falona Fargesia Farrago Ferrocalamus Festuca Festucopsis × Festulolium (Festuca × Lolium) Filgueirasia Fimbribambusa Fingerhuthia Froesiochloa

G

Gaoligongshania Garnotia Gastridium Gaudinia Gelidocalamus Geochloa Germainia Gerritea × Gigantocalamus (Dendrocalamus × Gigantochloa) Gigantochloa Gilgiochloa Glaziophyton Glyceria Glyphochloa Gouinia Graciliotrisetum Graphephorum Greeneochloa Greslania Guadua Guaduella Gymnopogon Gynerium

H

Habrochloa Hackelochloa Hainardia – synonym of Parapholis Hakonechloa Halopyrum Harpachne Harpochloa Helictochloa Helictotrichon Hemarthria Hemisorghum Henrardia Hesperostipa Heterachne – synonym of Eragrostis Heteranthelium Heteranthoecia Heteropholis Heteropogon Hickelia Hierochloe – synonym of Anthoxanthum Hilaria Hitchcockella Holcolemma Holcus Holttumochloa Homolepis Homopholis Homozeugos Hookerochloa Hopia Hordelymus Hordeum Hsuehochloa Hubbardia Hubbardochloa Humbertochloa Hyalopoa Hyalopodium Hydrothauma Hygrochloa Hygroryza Hylebates Hymenachne Hyparrhenia Hyperthelia Hypseochloa

I

Ichnanthus Imperata Indocalamus Indopoa Indosasa Isachne Ischaemum Iseilema Ixophorus

J

Janochloa Jansenella Jarava Jouvea

K

Kalinia Kampochloa Kaokochloa Kellochloa × Kengdoroegneria (Kengyilia × Pseudoroegneria) Kengiochloa Kengyilia Keratochlaena Kerriochloa Khoonmengia Kinabaluchloa Koeleria Koordersiochloa Kuruna

L

Lachnagrostis Laegaardia Lagurus Lamarckia Laobambos Lasiacis Lasiorhachis Lasiurus Lecomtella Leersia Leptagrostis Leptaspis Leptocarydion Leptochloa Leptothrium Lepturidium Lepturopetium Lepturus × Leydeum (Hordeum × Leymus) × Leymostachys (Leymus × Psathyrostachys) Leymus Limnas Limnodea Limnopoa Lithachne Littledalea Locajonoa Lolium Lombardochloa Lophacme Lophatherum Lophopogon Lorenzochloa Loudetia Loudetiopsis Louisiella Loxodera Luziola Lycochloa Lygeum

M

Maclurochloa Maclurolyra Macrochloa Maltebrunia Manisuris Mayariochloa Megalachne Megaloprotachne – synonym of Digitaria Megastachya Megathyrsus Melanocenchris Melica Melinis Melocalamus Melocanna Merostachys Merxmuellera Mesosetum Metcalfia Mibora Micrachne Micraira Microbriza Microcalamus Microchloa Microlaena Microstegium Milium Miscanthidium Miscanthus Mnesithea Mniochloa Molineriella Molinia Moliniopsis Monachather Monelytrum Monocymbium Moorochloa Morronea Mosdenia Muhlenbergia Mullerochloa Munroa Myriocladus Myriostachya

N

Nanooravia Narduroides – synonym of Festuca Nardus Narenga Nassella Nastus Neesiochloa Nematopoa Neobouteloua Neohouzeaua – synonym of Schizostachyum Neololeba Neomicrocalamus Neostapfia Neostapfiella Neotrinia Nephelochloa Neurachne Neyraudia Nianhochloa Nicoraepoa Notochloe

O

Ocellochloa Ochlandra Odyssea Oedochloa Oldeania Oligostachyum Olmeca Oloptum Olyra Oncorachis Ophiuros Oplismenopsis Oplismenus Orcuttia Oreobambos Oreochloa Oreopoa Orinus Oropetium Ortachne Orthacanthus Orthoclada Orthoraphium Oryza Oryzidium Oryzopsis Osvaldoa Otachyrium Otatea Ottochloa Oxychloris Oxyrhachis Oxytenanthera

P

Panicum Pappagrostis Pappophorum Pappostipa Parabambusa Paracolpodium Paractaenum Parafestuca Parahyparrhenia Paramochloa Parapholis Paratheria Pariana Parianella Parodiolyra Parodiophyllochloa Parvotrisetum Pascopyrum – synonym of Elymus Paspalum Patis Patzkea Pennisetum – synonym of Cenchrus Pentameris Pentapogon Periballia Peridictyon Perotis Perrierbambus Peyritschia Phacelurus Phaenanthoecium Phaenosperma Phalaris Pharus Pheidochloa Phippsia Phleum Pholiurus Phragmites Phuphanochloa Phyllorachis × Phyllosasa Phyllostachys Pinga Piptatheropsis Piptatherum Piptochaetium Piptophyllum Piresia Piresiella Plagiantha Plagiosetum Pleioblastus Pleuropogon Plinthanthesis Poa Podagrostis Poecilostachys Pogonachne Pogonarthria Pogonatherum Pogonochloa Pogononeura Pohlidium Poidium Polevansia Polypogon Polytoca Polytrias Pommereulla Potamophila Pratochloa Prosphytochloa Psammagrostis – synonym of Eragrostis Psammochloa Psathyrostachys Pseudanthistiria Pseudechinolaena Pseudobambusa Pseudobromus Pseudodanthonia Pseudodichanthium Pseudoeriocoma Pseudolasiacis Pseudopentameris Pseudophleum Pseudopogonatherum Pseudoraphis Pseudoroegneria Pseudosasa Pseudosorghum Pseudostachyum Pseudotrachys Pseudoxytenanthera Pseudozoysia Psilathera Psilolemma Ptilagrostiella Ptilagrostis Puccinellia × Pucciphippsia Puelia

R

Racemobambos Raddia Raddiella Ratzeburgia Ravenochloa Redfieldia – synonym of Muhlenbergia Rehia Reitzia Relchela Renvoizea Reynaudia Rheochloa Rhipidocladum Rhizocephalus Rhombolytrum Rhynchoryza Rhytachne Richardsiella Rosengurttia Rostraria Rottboellia Rugoloa Ruhooglandia Rupichloa Rytidosperma

S

Saccharum Sacciolepis Sarga Sarocalamus Sartidia Sasa Sasaella Sasamorpha Saugetia – synonym of Tetrapogon Saxipoa Schenckochloa Schismus Schizachne Schizachyrium Schizostachyum Schmidiella Schmidtia Schoenefeldia Schoenefeldiella Sclerochloa Sclerodactylon Scleropogon Scolochloa Scrotochloa Scutachne Secale Sehima Semiarundinaria Sesleria Sesleriella Setaria Setariopsis Shibataea Sibirotrisetum Silentvalleya Simonachne Simplicia Sinobambusa Sinochasea Sinosasa Sirochloa Snowdenia Soejatmia Sohnsia Sokinochloa Sorghastrum Sorghum Spartina – synonym of Sporobolus Spartochloa Spathia Sphaerobambos Sphaerocaryum Spheneria Sphenopholis Sphenopus Spinifex Spodiopogon Sporobolus Stapfochloa Stapletonia Steinchisma Steirachne Stelanemia Stenostachys Stenotaphrum