ABSTRACT
Members of the family Poaceae comprise the single most economically important group of plants. This family includes the nutritious cereal grain crops such as corn (Zea mays L.), oats (Avena sativa L.), rice (Oryza sativa L.), and wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), as well as the forage grasses such as annual ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.), tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.), and the wheatgrasses (Agropyron spp.). The cereals are important sources of complex carbohydrates, oils, and proteins, whereas the forages are important in dairy and meat production. Sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L.), another member of this family, is an important source of sucrose.
