A grass is a flowering plant in the family Poaceae, which includes maize, rice, wheat and bamboos. Typical grass leaves have a sheath clasping a jointed plant stem and a blade extending away from it; a ligule often occurs at their junction. The flowers are grouped into spikelets, and the characteristic fruit is a caryopsis.[ref]
Recognizing the family requires more than seeing narrow green leaves. Many grass stems have hollow intervals between solid joints, but maize has substantial internal tissue and bamboos can be woody. Shared floral organization provides a more reliable basis for comparison than one vegetative feature. Grass biology connects the structure of a lawn to the grain crops that feed people.
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