Poales | |
---|---|
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | |
Division: | |
Class: | |
Order: | Poales |
Families | |
See text |
Poales is a taxonomic order of flowering plants in the monocotyledons. The order includes families of plants such as the grasses, bromeliads, and sedges.
Most Poales are wind-pollinated, and so lack the colour and scents of most flowering plants. The bromeliads, however, produce large fruits which are eaten by animals and so act as seed-spreaders.
The earliest fossils of Poales date to the late Cretaceous period, about 66 million years ago. Some suggest the origin of the group may be 115 million years ago in South America. The earliest known fossils include pollen and fruits.