Q. Liu, D.X. Zhang, P.M. Peterson. 2010 South African Journal of Botany 76 (2): 196–209

ABSTRACT: Eight lemma micromorphological characters of 83 taxa representing 61 genera in the Chloridoideae have been investigated using Scanning Electron Microscopy, including long cells, cork cells, stomata, bicellular microhairs, papillae, silica cells, microprickles, and macrohairs. Five new types of lemma micromorphological characters were reported here. Data for 27 taxa representing 19 genera from previous publications were also supplied to access the homology of lemma micromorphological characters for different groups through optimization onto a molecular cladogram. Given the optimization, five characters including long cells, cork cells, stomata, papillae, microprickles are of phylogenetic significance for suprageneric groups. Seven characters including straight outline long cells, crescent-shaped cork cells, absent stomata, absent papillae, dumb-bellshaped silica cells, c-type microprickles, and papillate-base macrohairs may not be homologous, however, the enneapogonoid-type bicellular microhairs appeared as a synapomorphy for the Chloridoideae.