Hereunder is a partial list of monocot families and other information relevant to plant classification.
It has already been discussed that the classification of plants into various groupings is important in agriculture.
For example, having leaves with penni-parallel venation is a useful guide in identifying crops under the order Zingiberales (gingers and bananas).
Agricultural crops belonging to the same family also possess common characteristics knowledge of which may become useful in their culture.
They may have similar adaptations or be a host to the same pest or pathogen.
In conventional plant breeding, hybridization within the same family through interspecific and intergeneric crosses has yielded successful results.
This list was made largely by Simpson (2010).
Supplementary information from other references is attached such as alternative common names of families and representative crops.
List of Selected Monocot Families
Table M-1. List of selected monocot families, their respective order, and representative genera of family.
| Family Names of Monocot Plants* | Order | Representative Genera / Crops |
| 1. Agavaceaea (Agave family) | Asparagales | Agave: A. cantala (Maguey, fiber crop); Yucca |
| 2. Alliaceaea (Onion family) | Asparagales | 13 genera e.g. Allium: A. cepa (Onion, spice crop); Ipheion, Leucocoryne, Tulbaghia |
| 3. Amaryllidaceaea (Amaryllis family) | Asparagales | 59 genera e.g. Amaryllis: A. belladona (Belladona lily, ornamental crop); Crinum, Galanthus, Hippeastrum, Leucojum, Lycoris, Narcissus |
| 4. Araceae (Arum or Gabi family) | Alismatales | 104 genera e.g. Colocasia: C. esculenta (Taro or Gabi), Alocasia, Xanthosoma (food crops, root and tuber crops); Aglaonema, Anthurium, Caladium, Dieffenbachia, Monstera, Philodendron, Spathiphylum, Syngonium, Zantedeschia (ornamental crops); Lemna, Pistia (aquatic plants); Wolffia (smallest flower, aquatic), Amorphophallus titanum (among the biggest inflorescences) |
| 5. Arecaceae or Palmae (Palm family) | Arecales | Areca: A. catechu (Betel nut); Arenga, Cocos, Elaeis, Metroxylon, Phoenix, Washingtonia, Lodoicea maldivica (biggest seed), Rhapia spp. (largest leaves), Calamus (rattan) |
| 6. Asparagaceaeb | Asparagales | Asparagus: A. officinalis (Vegetable Asparagus) |
| 7. Asphodelaceaec (Asphodel or Aloe family) | Asparagales | 15 genera e.g. Aloe: A. vera (Aloe or sabila); Asphodelus, Bulbine, Gasteria, Haworthia, Kniphofia |
| 8. Bromeliaceae (Bromeliad or Pineapple family) | Poales | Ananas: A. comosus (Pineapple, fruit and fiber crop); Aechmea, Neoregalia, Puya, Tillandsia |
| 9. Cannaceae (Canna-Lily family) | Zingiberales** | 1 genus i.e, Canna: Canna spp. (Spanish flag, Bandera española, ornamental crop) |
| 10. Colchicaceae | Liliales | Colchicum: C. autumnale (Autumn Crocus); Burchardia |
| 11. Commelinaceae (Spiderwort family) | Commelinales | Commelina: C. diffusa (Climbing dayflower); Rhoeo, Cyanotis, Tradescantia, Zebrina |
| 12. Costaceae | Zingiberales** | Costus: C. speciosus (Common spiral ginger) |
| 13. Cyclanthaceae | Pandanales | Carludovica palmata (source of fiber used in making Panama hats) |
| 14. Cyperaceae (Sedge family) | Poales | 104 genera e.g. Cyperus: C. alternifolius (Umbrella plant, ornamental crop); Carex, Eleocharis, Scirpus |
| 15. Dioscoreaceae (Yam or Ubi family) | Dioscoreales | 4 genera e.g. Dioscorea: D. alata (Yam, tuber crop); Stenomeris, Tacca, Trichopus |
| 16. Eriocaulaceae (Pipewort family) | Poales | 10 genera e.g. Eriocaulon: E. decangulare (Ten-angled pipewort); Leiothrix, Paepalanthus, Syngonanthus (used as floral “everlasting”) |
| 17. Heliconiaceae | Zingiberales** | Heliconia: H. humilis (Common lobster claw, ornamental crop) |
| 18. Iridaceae (Iris family) | Asparagales | 70 genera e.g. Iris: I. reticulata (Reticulated Iris, ornamental crop); Crocus, Dietes, Freesia, Gladiolus |
| 19. Juncaceae (Rush family) | Poales | 7 genera e.g. Juncus: J. effusus (Soft rush); Distichia |
| 20. Liliaceae (Lily family) | Liliales | 16 generae.g. Lilium: L. longiflorum (White Trumpet Lily, ornamental crop); Tulipa, Calochortus, Erythronium, Fritillaria, Medeola |
| 21. Marantaceae (Arrow Root family) | Zingiberales** | Maranta: M. arundinacea (Arrow root, root crop); Calathea, Thalia |
| 22. Musaceae (Banana family) | Zingiberales** | 3 genera e.g. Musa: Musa spp. (Banana, fruit crop; Abaca, fiber crop); Ensete, Musella |
| 23. Orchidaceae (Orchid family) | Asparagales | 700-800 genera e.g. Cattleya, Cymbidium, Dendrobium, Phalaenopsis, Vanda: V. sanderiana (waling-waling orchid, ornamental crop), Vanilla |
| 24. Pandanaceae (Screw-Pine or Pandan family) | Pandanales | 3 genera e.g. Pandanus: P. tectorius (Screw Pine, fiber crop); Freycinetia |
| 25. Poaceae or Gramineae (Grass family) | Poales | 668 genera e.g. Avena, Hordeum, Sorghum, Oryza, Triticum, Zea (cereal crops); Bambusa, Dendrocalamus (bamboos); Saccharum: S. officinarum (sugarcane, sugar crop); Cymbopogon (lemon grass, spice, essential-oil crop); Brachiaria, Cynodon, Panicum, Pennisetum (forage crops); Axonopus, Paspalum, Zoysia (turfgrasses) |
| 26. Pontederiaceae (Pickerel-Weed or Pondweed or Water Hyacinth family) | Commelinales | Pontederia: P. cordata (Pickerel weed); Eichhornia, Heteranthera, Monochoria |
| 27. Smilacaceae (Green briar family) | Liliales | Smilax: S. bracteata (Sarsaparilla) |
| 28. Strelitziaceae (Bird-of-paradise family) | Zingiberales** | 3 genera e.g. Strelitzia: S. reginae (Bird of Paradise, ornamental crop); Phenakospermum, Ravanela |
| 29. Typhaceaed (Cattail family) | Poales | 1 genus: Typha: T. angustifolia (Cattail, aquatic ornamental crop and food crop) |
| 30.Xanthorrhoeaceaec | Asparagales | Xanthorrhoea: X. australis (Grass-tree, ornamental crop) |
| 31. Xyridaceae (Yellow-eyed-grass or Xyris family) | Poales | 5 genera e.g. Xyris: X. pauciflora (grass-like weed), Abolboda, Achlyphila, Aratitiyopea, Orectanthe |
| 32. Zingiberaceae (Ginger family) | Zingiberales** | Zingiber: Z. officinalis (Ginger, spice crop), Alpinia, Curcuma, Elettaria, Hedychium |
*The following families of monocot plants have been expanded by the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group (APG III[2009]) to include the families as specified (Simpson 2010):
aAmaryllidaceae (order Asparagales): Agapanthaceae (order Liliales, ex. Agapanthus) and Alliaceae or Onion family (order Asparagales).
bAsparagaceae (order Asparagales): Agavaceae, Aphyllanthaceae, Hyacinthaceae, Laxmanniaceae, Ruscaceae, Themidaceae or Brodiaea family.
cXanthorrhoeaceae (order Asparagales): Asphodelaceae, Hemerocallidaceae.
dTyphaceae (order Poales): Sparganiaceae.
**Order Zingiberales (gingers and bananas) comprises of the following monocot families: “gingers” – Marantaceae, Cannaceae, Zingiberaceae, Costaceae; and “bananas” – Heliconiaceae, Lowiaceae, Strelitziaceae, Musaceae (Simpson 2010).
REFERENCES
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