How sugarcane is classified?
Scientific / Botanical classification of sugarcane
| Classification | Description | |
|---|---|---|
| Kingdom | Plantae | Plants |
| Sub-kingdom | Tracheobionta | Vascular plants |
| Super-division | Spermatophyta | Seed plants |
| Division (Phylum) | Magnoliophyta | Flower bearing plants |
| Class | Liliopsida | Monocotyledons |
| Subclass | Commelinidae | – |
| Order | Poales | – |
| Family | Poaceae | Grass family |
| Genus | Saccharum L. | – |
What is Saccharum complex?
It includes genus Saccharum and 4 related genera viz. Erianthus, Miscanthus, Narenga and Sclerostachya.
Some of the species of sugarcane
| Species | Other names | Native | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| S.officinarum | Pondya, Pundia Noble species |
New Guinea | Cultivated species. Thick, juicy stalk with high sugar and low fiber. Compressed internodes. Generally resistant to smut, susceptible to mosaic and red rot. Occupies first position in the list of contributors, to the genome (hybrid, complex) of modern cultivated sugarcanes cultivars. |
| S.barberi | Includes sugarcane group ‘Sunnabile’ | North-eastern India | Cultivated species. Short and thin stalks. Long internodes. Early maturity. Low to Medium sugar content. |
| S.sinenes | Includes sugarcane groups ‘Nargori, Mungo and Panschi’ | North-eastern India | Cultivated species. Long, thin stalks. Early maturity. Low to Medium sugar content. Prominent nodes. Long and zigzag like internodes. |
| S.spontaneum | Kans grass, Kash | South Asia | Wild species of sugarcane, relative of cultivated cane. Highly resistant to abiotic and biotic stresses. Low sugar content. Occupies second position in the list of contributors, to the genome (hybrid, complex) of modern cultivated sugarcanes cultivars. |
| S. robustum | New Guinea | Swollen, solid internodes | |
| S.arundinaceum Naanal |
South Asia | Hardy sugarcane species | |
| S.ravennae | Italian sugarcane, Ravenna grass, Plume grass | Temperate – tropical Asia | It is tertiary genetic relative of sugarcane. Can be used as forage and for erosion control. |
| S.procerum | – | Solid internodes. | |
| S.edule | – | Partial sterile from cultivated species. |