Andropogoneae

The Andropogoneae, sometimes called the sorghum tribe, are a large tribe of grasses (family Poaceae) with roughly 1,200 species in 90 genera, mainly distributed in tropical and subtropical areas. They include such important crops as maize (corn), sugarcane, and sorghum.<ref>Also called "kaoliang": "Shensi", in The Columbia-Viking Encyclopedia (1953), New York: Viking. Another spelling is "gaoliang."</ref> All species in this tribe use C₄ carbon fixation, which makes them competitive under warm, high-light conditions.<ref name="SorengPeterson2015">Template:Cite journal Template:Open access</ref>

Andropogoneae is classified in supertribe Andropogonodae, together with its sister group Arundinelleae. Subdivisions include 12 subtribes, but the position of several genera within them is still unresolved (incertae sedis). Hybridisation was probably important in the evolution of the Andropogoneae, and the tribe's systematics are still not completely resolved.<ref name="SorengPeterson2015"/> From the morphological point of view, the merging of the former subtribe 'Dimeriinae' (having solitary spikelets borne in 'robust' raceme rachis ) into the subtribe Ischaeminae (having paired spikelets borne in 'fragile' raceme rachis) is doubtful. Affinities within the tribe are complex and still under investigation.<ref name=":0" /> Mr. Shahid Nawaz, a grass specialist at the Blatter Herbarium, is working on the phylogenomics of the tribe from India.Template:Citation needed

According to preliminary phytogeographic research on the tribe by MS Kiran Raj, Peninsular India, home to 54 genera (incl. 9 endemic genera, viz., Bhidea, Lophopogon, Glyphochloa, Pogonachne, Trilobachne, Pseudodichanthium, Triplopogon, Nanooravia, and Manisuris) and roughly 500 species, is thought to be the primary or secondary centre of diversity for Andropogonoid grasses. About 40% of the representative taxa are exclusively endemic to peninsular India, with the highest species diversity and endemicity found in genera like Arthraxon, Chrysopogon, Cymbopogon, Dichanthium, Dimeria, Heteropogon, Ischaemum, Ophiorus, Sehima, and Themeda.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref name=":0">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Description

Spikelets within the inflorescence (flower cluster) are generally arranged on spicate racemes in pairs. A fertile, unstalked spikelet is subtended by a sterile, stalked spikelet. In species where awns are present they are found on the fertile, unstalked spikelet as an extension of the lemma.<ref>Template:Cite journalTemplate:Open access</ref>

Subtribes and genera

2017 classification

Classification following Soreng et al. (2017):<ref name="SorengPeterson2017"/> Template:Columns-list

2020 classification

Classification following Welker et al. (2020) (one asterisk * marks genera not sampled in their analyses that were tentatively placed based on previously published phylogenetic analyses; two asterisks ** marks genera placed solely on morphology):<ref name=WelkMcKaEstePasq20>Template:Cite journal</ref> Template:Div-col Tribe Andropogoneae Template:Small – 14 subtribes, 92 genera, and about 1224 species

• Subtribe Arthraxoninae Template:Small – 1 genus and about 27 species
  • Arthraxon Template:Small – 27 species
• Subtribe Tripsacinae Template:Small – 2 genera and about 23 species
  • Tripsacum Template:Small – 16 species
  • Zea Template:Small – 7 species
• Subtribe Chionachninae Template:Small – 3 genera and about 12 species
  • Chionachne Template:Small – 9 species
  • Polytoca Template:Small – 2 species
  • Trilobachne Template:Small – 1 species **
• Subtribe Rhytachninae Template:Small – 5 genera and about 26 species
  • Loxodera Template:Small – 5 species
  • Oxyrhachis Template:Small – 1 species
  • Rhytachne Template:Small – 12 species
  • Urelytrum Template:Small – 7 species
  • Vossia Template:Small – 1 species
• Subtribe Chrysopogoninae Template:Small – 1 genus and about 49 species
  • Chrysopogon Template:Small – 49 species
• Subtribe Rottboelliinae Template:Small = Coicinae Template:Small – 3 genera and about 13 species
  • Chasmopodium Template:Small – 3 species *
  • Coix Template:Small – 4 species
  • Rottboellia Template:Small – 6 species
• Subtribe Ratzeburgiinae Template:Small – 11 genera and about 87 species
  • Eremochloa Template:Small – 12 species
  • Glyphochloa Template:Small – 9 species
  • Hackelochloa Template:Small – 2 species
  • Hemarthria Template:Small – 14 species
  • Heteropholis Template:Small – 6 species *
  • Manisuris Template:Small – 1 species *
  • Mnesithea Template:Small – 26 species
  • Ophiuros Template:Small – 4 species *
  • Ratzeburgia Template:Small – 1 species **
  • Thaumastochloa Template:Small – 8 species *
  • Thyrsia Template:Small – 4 species
• Subtribe Ischaeminae Template:Small = Dimeriinae Template:Small – 4 genera and about 152 species
  • Andropterum Template:Small – 1 species
  • Dimeria Template:Small – 61 species
  • Eulaliopsis Template:Small – 2 species
  • Ischaemum Template:Small – 88 species
• Subtribe Germainiinae Template:Small – 5 genera and about 44 species
  • Apocopis Template:Small – 16 species *
  • Germainia Template:Small – 10 species
  • Imperata Template:Small – 13 species
  • Lophopogon Template:Small – 2 species **
  • Pogonatherum Template:Small – 3 species
• Subtribe Sorghinae Template:Small – 4 genera and about 37 species
  • Cleistachne Template:Small – 1 species
  • Lasiorhachis Template:Small – 3 species
  • Sarga Template:Small – 9 species
  • Sorghum Template:Small – 24 species
• Subtribe Saccharinae Template:Small – 3 genera and about 64 species
  • Miscanthus Template:Small – 30 species
  • Pseudosorghum Template:Small – 2 species
  • Saccharum Template:Small – 32 species
• Subtribe Apludinae Template:Small – 7 genera and about 68 species
  • Apluda Template:Small – 1 species
  • Asthenochloa Template:Small – 1 species **
  • Eulalia Template:Small – 34 species
  • Homozeugos Template:Small – 6 species
  • Polytrias Template:Small – 1 species
  • Sorghastrum Template:Small – 21 species
  • Trachypogon Template:Small – 4 species
• Subtribe Anthistiriinae Template:Small – 9 genera and about 204 species
  • Bothriochloa Template:Small – 37 species
  • Capillipedium Template:Small – 18 species
  • Cymbopogon Template:Small – 59 species
  • Dichanthium Template:Small – 22 species
  • Eremopogon Template:Small – 4 species *
  • Euclasta Template:Small – 2 species
  • Heteropogon Template:Small – 6 species
  • Iseilema Template:Small – 24 species
  • Themeda Template:Small – 32 species
• Subtribe Andropogoninae Template:Small – 11 genera and about 292 species
  • Anadelphia Template:Small – 14 species
  • Andropogon Template:Small – 125 species
  • Bhidea Template:Small – 3 species **
  • Diectomis Template:Small – 1 species
  • Diheteropogon Template:Small – 4 species
  • Elymandra Template:Small – 6 species
  • Exotheca Template:Small – 1 species
  • Hyparrhenia Template:Small – 58 species
  • Hyperthelia Template:Small – 7 species
  • Monocymbium Template:Small – 3 species
  • Schizachyrium Template:Small – 70 species
• Incertae sedis – 23 genera and about 126 species
  • Agenium Template:Small – 4 species *
  • Elionurus Template:Small – 17 species
  • Eriochrysis Template:Small – 11 species
  • Jardinea Template:Small – 3 species
  • Kerriochloa Template:Small – 1 species
  • Lasiurus Template:Small – 1 species
  • Leptatherum Template:Small – 3 species *
  • Microstegium Template:Small – 27 species
  • Parahyparrhenia Template:Small – 6 species
  • Phacelurus Template:Small – 6 species *
  • Pseudopogonatherum Template:Small – 5 species *
  • Sehima Template:Small – 5 species
  • Spodiopogon Template:Small – 18 species *
  • Thelepogon Template:Small – 2 species
  • Tripidium Template:Small – 6 species
  • Clausospicula Template:Small – 1 species **
  • Lakshmia Template:Small – 1 species **
  • Pogonachne Template:Small – 1 species **
  • Pseudanthistiria Template:Small – 4 species **
  • Pseudodichanthium Template:Small – 1 species **
  • Spathia Template:Small – 1 species **
  • Triplopogon Template:Small – 1 species **
  • Veldkampia Template:Small – 1 species **