J Syst Evol ›› 1989, Vol. 27 ›› Issue (4): 247-256.

• Research Articles • Previous Articles     Next Articles

The Basic Types of Flowers of Chinese Gramineae and Their Systematic Relevance

Wang Shi-Jin, Li Jian-Hua   

  1. (Northwest Plateau Institute of Biology, Academia Sinica, Xining)
  • Published:1989-07-10

Abstract: The flowers of the representative species of 33 tribes and 174 genera were investigated for the purpose of Gramineae systematics. Discussed in this paper are ten important flower characters, 6 of which are of the pistil, two of the androecium and two of the lodicule. The morphology of lodicules is of particularly great value in systematics, it consisting of nine forms: membranous-flattend, tongue-shaped, chaffy-peltate, hooded or helmet-shaped, spade-like, longitudinally folded, cucullate, top-shaped and funnel-thaped. Its numbers per flower may be: numerous, triple, dual, single and absent. On the basis of these ten characters, three major types and seven subtypes of the flowers of Gramineae may be recognized: Bambusoid (including True Bambusoid, Oryzoid, Arundinoid, Stipoid), pooid (with Subtype Pooid only) and Panicoid (including Eragrostoid, True Panicoid). As a result, The major groups corresponding to the flower basic types agree wih those divided according to the basic types of seedlings and caryopses. They are seven subfamilies: Banbusoideae, Oryzoideae, Arandinoi deae, Stipoideae, Pooideae, Eragrostoideae and Panicoideae.

Key words: Gramineae, Flower, Systematics