Danthonioideae

Danthonioideae is a mainly southern hemisphere subfamily of grasses, containing the single tribe Danthonieae and one unplaced genus,^[1] with altogether roughly 300 species.^[2] It includes herbaceous to partially woody perennial or annual (less common) grasses that grow in open grasslands, shrublands, and woodlands.^[3] It belongs to the PACMAD clade of grasses, but unlike some other lineages in that clade, grasses in the Danthonioideae exclusively use the C₃ photosynthetic pathway.^[4] Its sister group is the subfamily Chloridoideae.^[4]

Danthonioideae
Pampas grass (Cortaderia selloana)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Monocots
Clade:	Commelinids
Order:	Poales
Family:	Poaceae
Clade:	PACMAD clade
Subfamily:	Danthonioideae Barker & H.P.Linder
Tribe:	Danthonieae Zotov

There are 19 genera, 18 of which are placed in tribe Danthonieae, while one is as yet unplaced (incertae sedis).^[1] The relationships within the group are complicated; conflicting phylogenetic evidence from nuclear and chloroplast DNA suggests that hybridisation events played an important role in the Danthonioideae.^[5]

• incertae sedis:

  Danthonidium

• tribe Danthonieae:

  Austroderia, Capeochloa, Chaetobromus, Chimaerochloa, Chionochloa, Cortaderia (syn. Lamprothyrsus), Danthonia, Geochloa, Merxmuellera, Notochloe, Pentameris (syn. Pentaschistis, Poagrostis, Prionanthium), Phaenanthoecium, Plinthanthesis, Pseudopentameris, Rytidosperma (syn. Austrodanthonia, Monostachya, Notodanthonia, Pyrrhantherea), Schismus (syn. Karroochloa), Tenaxia, Tribolium