Collaborative research: Branching in chloridoid grasses: phylogeny and inflorescence diversification

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This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).The chloridoid grasses are a large, economically and ecologically important group of approximately 1500 species in 150 genera that have been classified using the highly variable features of the inflorescence (how flowers are arranged). Despite their importance, relatively little is known about the relationships among the species or the regulation of inflorescence development, so these issues will be addressed through studies of all genera and one-third of the species. DNA sequences will be used to reconstruct the evolutionary relationships and create a new classification, and inflorescences will be studied from early in development to maturity to characterize the differences in an evolutionary context. Genes involved in inflorescence development of other species will be examined for their role in chloridoids.Chloridoid grasses are economically important because several species are grown as food crops or turf grasses for humans, and many provide livestock forage. Understanding the evolution of the group and the regulation of inflorescence development can have important implications for crop or turf improvement as others seek sources of desirable traits or increased grain yields. In addition to the principal investigators, the project involves undergraduate students at a small college, as well as graduate students and a postdoctoral scholar. The research findings will be broadly disseminated through print and online outlets.