Poales, nourishing plants ...

This order of grasses is one of the world’s largest with 20,000 species, and one of the most important with regard to human nutrition. The grasses cover about 20% of the earth’s land surface, are wind pollinators, and often contain silicates in their leaves, which are sharp and protect against pests. They are found in both dry and wet soils, and with the bromeliads they even exist as epiphytes in the tropics.