The BOP clade (sometimes ''BEP clade'') is one of two major
lineages (or
clades) of undefined taxonomic rank in the grasses (
Poaceae), containing more than 5,400 species, about half of all grasses. Its
sister group
In phylogenetics, a sister group or sister taxon, also called an adelphotaxon, comprises the closest relative(s) of another given unit in an evolutionary tree.
Definition
The expression is most easily illustrated by a cladogram:
Taxon A and ...
is the
PACMAD clade; contrary to many species of that group who have evolved
C4 photosynthesis, the BOP grasses all use the
C3 photosynthetic pathway.
The clade contains three subfamilies from whose initials its name derives:
the
bamboo
Bamboos are a diverse group of evergreen perennial flowering plants making up the subfamily Bambusoideae of the grass family Poaceae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family. The origin of the word "bamboo" is uncertain, ...
s (Bambusoideae);
Oryzoideae (syn. Ehrhartoideae), including
rice
Rice is the seed of the grass species '' Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice) or less commonly '' Oryza glaberrima'' (African rice). The name wild rice is usually used for species of the genera '' Zizania'' and ''Porteresia'', both wild and domestica ...
; and
Pooideae
The Pooideae are the largest subfamily of the grass family Poaceae, with about 4,000 species in 15 tribes and roughly 200 genera. They include some major cereals such as wheat, barley, oat, rye and many lawn and pasture grasses. They are often ...
, mainly distributed in temperate regions, with the largest diversity and important
cereal
A cereal is any grass cultivated for the edible components of its grain (botanically, a type of fruit called a caryopsis), composed of the endosperm, germ, and bran. Cereal grain crops are grown in greater quantities and provide more foo ...
crops such as
wheat
Wheat is a grass widely cultivated for its seed, a cereal grain that is a worldwide staple food. The many species of wheat together make up the genus ''Triticum'' ; the most widely grown is common wheat (''T. aestivum''). The archaeolog ...
and
barley
Barley (''Hordeum vulgare''), a member of the grass family, is a major cereal grain grown