Types of enrichment axes in Poaceae

Abstract

The objective of this review work is to characterize the enrichment axes in Poaceae, especially integrating into that analysis of those species with basal or subterranean cleistogamous spikelets. We recognize five types of enrichment axes: paraclades of the unit of inflorescence (UIF), paraclades of the trophotagma (TT) with exposed UIF; paraclades of the trophotagma with not exposed UIF; subterranean paraclades on short rhizomes and subterranean paraclades upon plagiotropic axes of long internodes. According to the enrichment axes, we differentiate six types of synflorescences. The different types of enrichment axes and synflorescences types are characterized; their differences determine in some cases the existence of fruit heteromorphism.