Today we know more than 350 species of plants.Of these Monocotyledonous class accounts for about 60,000 species.However, this class includes two of the most widespread on the territory of habitation and economic value of the family:
- Liliaceae.
- family of cereals or bluegrass.
learn more about the family of cereals.
Taxonomy machineries
place in the organic world, this family takes the following:
- the plant kingdom.
- Subkingdom multicellular.
- Class Monocotyledonous.
- The family of cereals.
All members of this family are combined in 900 genera.The total number of representatives of about 11,000 species.Plants of the family Gramineae found in both fields, and cultural, are of great agricultural importance.
terms of growth and distribution of cereals
family occupies a very extensive habitat due to its unpretentious, drought resistance, and moisture (not all types).Therefore, we can say that they cover a virtually all land, except for Antarctica and the ice-covered areas.
It immediately makes it clear that the plants of the family Gramineae is very unpretentious to the growing conditions.So, for example, representatives of meadow grass (timothy, bluegrass, bluegrass, orchard, fire, etc.) quietly tolerate adverse conditions of winter and heat of summer.
Cultivated the same plant (rye, oats, wheat, rice) are already more demanding, however, and they are able to experience a fairly large amplitude fluctuations in air temperature.
to sunlight are the same neutral, almost all representatives that includes the family of cereals.Representatives of grasslands, steppes, the pampas, savannahs - accustomed to the rigors of the plants, and cultivated species are exposed to constant care and handling by humans, so, too, feel comfortable in times of low light.
General characteristics of family
family of cereals includes both annual and biennial and perennial plants often.Outwardly, they tend to be similar, as they have a similar structure of the stem and leaves.The stem also has its obvious features from the stems of other plants - it is completely empty inside and is a hollow tube, called culms.
Large number of representatives of the family explained their importance in economic terms: some plants are fed to livestock, and other processing and preparation of grains and starches, and others for a protein, and the fourth in the decorative purposes.
Morphological
external (morphological) signs of family cereals can be described by several points.
- stalk culm (except corn and cane), hollow inside.
- well expressed internodes on the stem.
- Some representatives of the stem during the life odrevesnevaet (bamboo).
- Leaves simple, sessile, with a strong sheath covering the stem.
- Leaf shape is elongated, parallel venation.Location
- sheet plates the next.
- fibrous root system type, sometimes underground rhizomes are transformed shoots.
These symptoms have all members forming the family of cereals.
floral formula
During the flowering plants of the family is quite unremarkable, as prone to self-pollination or cross-pollination.Therefore, to form a huge bright and fragrant flowers it makes no sense.Their flowers are small, pale, quite inconspicuous.Going on various types of inflorescences:
- complicated ear (wheat);
- cob (maize);
- whisk (feather).
flowers are all the same, floral formula Gramineae family as follows: TSCH2 PL2 + + T3 + P1.Where CN - floral scales Pl - films T - stamens, P - the pistil.
Formula flower family machineries gives a clear idea of the homeliness of these plants in the flowering period, and therefore used in decorative purposes are not flowers, and the leaves and stems.
Fruits
After flowering is formed protein-rich and starch fruit.It is the same for all representatives, members of the family of cereals.The fruit is called caryopsis.Indeed, most people are far from biology, they know the term "grains", and it is associated with grain crops, called grain.
However, not only the crop plants have the family of cereals fruit and meadow.The grains are rich in vitamins, gluten, protein, starch.
representatives machineries
As mentioned above, all, there are about 11,000 plants, forming a family of cereals.Representatives of their common among wild and cultivated plant species.
Wild representatives:
- timothy;
- urchin;
- fire;
- feather;
- wheatgrass;
- bamboo;
- wheatgrass;
- fescue;
- wild oats;
- foxtail and others.
Most representatives wild machineries - it inhabitants of the steppes, meadows, forests, savannas.
Cultivated plants that form the family of cereals, fruit of their form under the influence of different environmental conditions.That is why, to get decent quality grain, many of the representatives of machineries turned into a home of culture, which is carried out for the proper care.These include:
- rice;
- rye;
- wheat;
- sugar cane;
- oats;
- millet;
- barley;
- sorghum;
- corn and others.
Cultivated plants are of great economic importance for the food supply throughout the country.
Annuals
to annual plants are those that pass the entire life cycle in one growing season.That is all the basic life processes - the growth, flowering, reproduction and death - are stacked in a single season.
For a single annual plant of the family Gramineae cite the difficult.They are actually quite a lot.Consider some of the most common and have commercial value.
- sorghum.The plant of the genus Sorghum is a cereal par with rye, wheat and so on.
- Durra or Dzhugarra.Also, fodder plant, which has the largest circulation in the southern parts of the Earth.It is used not only as a cereal, but as hay and silage for animal feed.
- Koster.Widespread plant of the family Gramineae, which is often accepted and regarded as a weed.It grows in any soil, unpretentious warmth and moisture, can do for a long time without sunlight.Used only for animal nutrition, its economic benefits do not matter.
- Corn.One of the most popular agricultural crop in many countries.From the obtained corn oil, flour, grains themselves used directly boiled.
- foxtail.Herbaceous plant belonging to both an annual and a perennial forms.The main value - the formation of grass cover on meadows (flood).It is used to feed animals.
- panic.South agricultural annual crops that are grown, not only for animal feed, but also as a food plant for the valuable grain.Thermophilic and photophilous not grow in Russia.
- Bluegrass.There are several species of this genus, but they are all prairie or meadow grasses that have commercial value as livestock feed.
- Millet.It includes a variety of species.Of all the varieties in Russian only 6 species, some of which is used for decorative purposes.The second part is used to produce a nutritious grain for animal feed.
Perennials
Most plants are perennial family.That is, their life cycle is made up of several seasons (growing seasons).They are able to survive adverse conditions of winter period without loss of viability.Many of them are a family of cereals.Characteristic of these plants is very extensive.Consider some, the most important in terms of economic representatives.
- Wheat.The most common of the occupied area of the world crop that is valued by its grain nutrients.
- Couch.Many people know it as a pernicious weed.However, this is not its only value.This plant is a valuable food source for animal nutrition.
- Fig.Very important crop, wheat, is not inferior in value and nutritional value of grain.It is cultivated in the Eastern parts of the world.
- Rye.One of the most popular cereals after wheat and rice.A large number of these plants are grown in Russia.The nutritional value of grain at a high level.
- Sugarcane.His homeland - India, Brazil and Cuba.The main nutritional value of this crop - it's sugar production.
Crops machineries
to agricultural crop plants of this family include, in addition to the above, another sorghum.This plant has all the hallmarks of a family of cereals, and also has a valuable grain.In our country, sorghum is grown not because it is very heat-loving plants.However, in Africa, Australia, South America is a very valuable food culture.
Grain sorghum, ground into flour, and part of the stem and leaf leaves for fodder.In addition, from the leaves and stems produce furniture, weave a beautiful interior.
Barley can also be attributed to the important from / crops.This plant does not require special conditions for growing, so easily cultivated in many countries.The main value of the grain goes into brewing, receiving pearl barley and barley grits, and is used to feed animals.
also barley infusions are important in folk and traditional medicine (remedies for diseases of the liver and gastrointestinal tract).
nutritional value of cereal grains
Why is it so important and widely applicable grains representatives constituting the family of cereals?Characteristics of the composition of the grain help to understand it.
First of all cereal grains contain a protein, a number of its representatives in different ranges.The highest protein content of gluten considered varieties of wheat.
Secondly, cereal grains containing starch and thus have sufficient nutritional value and are able to form flour.
Thirdly, such a culture, such as rice, contains a lot of different groups of vitamins, which makes it even more useful.
obvious that the full use of cereals supplies the body with a set of all daily necessities agents.That's why they are so popular all over the world.
