Where Do I Belong?

Saccharum officinarum comes from the Arabic word Sarkara, meaning white sugar, and the Latin word Officinal, meaning used as medicine.  Sugar cane was thought to have originated in southeast Asia where it was used as a form of healing.  The common name, sugar cane, came from the cane like appearance of the stalk and the excessive amounts of sugar it produces naturally.
                  


Domain Eukarya made by Caylie YessaMulticellular, Linear Chromosomes, Sexual Reproduction, Membrane Bound Organelles, Contains a Nucleus
 

Kingdom Plantae made by Caylie Yessa

Alternation of Generations, Photosynthetic, Common Freshwater Algal Ancestor, Cell Walls Composed of Cellulose
 

       Phylum Anthophyta made by Caylie Yessa
Flowering plants, Have True Roots, Stems & Seeds, Dominate Sporophyte Generation, Ovule Develops into Seed, Ovary Develops into Fruit
 


Class Liliopsidia made by Caylie YessaSingle Cotyledon, Parallel Veined Leaves, Floral Parts Seen Typically in Sets of 3, 4 or 5.
 


Order Cyperales made by Caylie Yessa
Wind or Self-Pollinated Flowers, Ovary Bears a Single Ovule


Family Poaceae made by Caylie Yessa"True Grasses", Hollow Stems, Fibrous Root Systems, Annual & Perennial Species, Flower Usually Bisexual,
 Fruit Circular in Cross Section


Genus Saccharum made by Caylie YessaHigh Concentrations of Sucrose in the Internodes of the Stem, Poor Disease Resistance, Initially Rapid Stem
Growth


Species Saccharum officinarum made by Caylie YessaPerennial, White Flower, Dense Foliage, High Anaerobic Tolerance, High Drought Tolerance, Propagated by: Seeds,Sprigs, Tubers, or Sod
   

Now that we know where sugar cane fits, lets discover what it's related to by looking at the Phylogenentic Tree.

More information on the classification of sugar cane can be found the USDA plant database.