The Grass Flora of India - A Synoptic Account of Uses and Phytogeography

Abstract

Gramineae is the fourth largest family of flowering plants, it has about 700 genera and 10,000 species in the world. Grasses are economically very important as major cereals like wheat, rice and maize are grasses, as are also the sugarcane and bamboos; they bind soil. Grasses provide variety of other useful products for food, fodder, oils, house-building, and for lawn making, etc. India has about 266 genera and 1200 species. The list of genera is appended.

About 360 grass taxa are endemic to India. Rich diversity and endemism suggest that some grass genera, like Isachne, Dichenthium, Ischaemum, Dimeria and Arthraxon might have had their primary or secondary centre of origin in India.

Several grasses are now rare and threatened. A list of about one hundred grasses which are endemic and also rare is appended.

It is emphasized that revisionary studies on large genera are necessary for better, evaluation of diversity and endemism.