Poales facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Poales |
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Poales is a large group of flowering plants. These plants are part of a bigger group called monocotyledons. Think of Poales as a big family that includes many well-known plants.
This group contains important plant families. Some examples are the grasses, bromeliads, and sedges. You probably see these plants every day!
Scientists believe the first Poales plants appeared a very long time ago. The oldest known fossils are about 66 million years old. These fossils include tiny pollen grains and fruits. Some scientists think this group might have started even earlier, around 115 million years ago, in South America.
The flowers of Poales plants are usually small. They are often surrounded by special leaves called bracts. These small flowers usually grow together in clusters called inflorescences. One exception is the Mayaca plant, which has single flowers. Many Poales plants rely on the wind to spread their pollen. Their seeds often contain starch, which helps the new plant grow.
Families in the Poales Group
The Poales order includes many different plant families. Here are some of them:
- family Anarthriaceae
- family Bromeliaceae
- family Centrolepidaceae
- family Cyperaceae
- family Ecdeiocoleaceae
- family Eriocaulaceae
- family Flagellariaceae
- family Joinvilleaceae
- family Juncaceae
- family Mayacaceae
- family Poaceae
- family Rapateaceae
- family Restionaceae
- family Thurniaceae
- family Typhaceae
- family Xyridaceae
Why Poales Plants Are Important
The Poales group is very important for humans and the economy. It might even be the most important group of plants overall!
The most valuable family within Poales is the grasses, also known as Poaceae. This family includes many plants we eat every day. Think of barley, maize (corn), millet, rice, and wheat. These grains feed billions of people around the world.
The grass family (Poaceae) is also the largest in the Poales order. It has many more species than the other families:
- Poaceae: 12,070 species
- Cyperaceae (sedges): 5,500 species
- Bromeliaceae (bromeliads): 3,170 species
- Eriocaulaceae: 1,150 species
Images for kids
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Billbergia pyramidalis from the Bromeliaceae family
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Eriocaulon decangulare
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Typha latifolia, a plant from the Typhaceae family
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Carex demissa, a type of sedge
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Xyris complanata, from the Xyridaceae family
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Elegia capensis, a plant from the Restionaceae family
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Foxtail millet, a type of grass
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See also
In Spanish: Poales para niños
