Poaceae Lecture Exam

Question 1

Why is the Poaceae family important?

Answer 1

-Massive!
-Most important family economically
-provide more than half the calories consumed by humans

Question 2

What are the two physiological classes of grasses?

Answer 2

-C3 and C4 grasses

Question 3

What differentiates C4 from C3 grasses?

Answer 3

C3 = cool season grasses
C4 = warm season grasses

Question 4

What is important about Zea mays?

Answer 4

It is the most produced food crop in the world (1.04 billion tons)

Question 5

Which of the agronomic grass crops is grown on more acreage than any other agronomic crop?

Answer 5

Wheat

Question 6

How many humans are actually genetically susceptible to gluten?

Answer 6

~1%

Question 7

What is the difference between the two major subspecies of cultivated rice?

Answer 7

O. sativa and O. glaberrima

Question 8

What is the world’s largest crop based on production quantity?

Answer 8

Sugarcane (Saccharum spp.)

Question 9

Which of the grasses described could be considered the upper Midwestern lawn grass of choice?

Answer 9

Kentucky Bluegrass

Question 10

Which of the grasses described should be considered the ‘shade’ grass of choice?

Question 11

What are the distinguishing macroscopic characteristics of the Poaceae family?

Question 12

What is the problem with Phragmites australis?

Question 13

What are some ways humans make use of bamboo?

Question 14

Is wild rice really rice?

Question 15

What is the main human use for bentgrass?

Question 16

How does crabgrass become a lawn weed problem?

Question 17

Which grass species makes the better biofuel crop? Why?

Question 18

Which grain crop is the most important animal feed?

Question 19

How are grasses utilized as building products? Where? How?