Danthonioideae is a mainly southern hemisphere subfamily of grasses, containing the single tribe Danthonieae and one unplaced genus,[1] with altogether roughly 300 species.

[2] It includes herbaceous to partially woody perennial or annual (less common) grasses that grow in open grasslands, shrublands, and woodlands.

[3] It belongs to the PACMAD clade of grasses, but unlike some other lineages in that clade, grasses in the Danthonioideae exclusively use the C3 photosynthetic pathway.

[4] There are 19 genera, 18 of which are placed in tribe Danthonieae, while one is as yet unplaced (incertae sedis).

[1] The relationships within the group are complicated; conflicting phylogenetic evidence from nuclear and chloroplast DNA suggests that hybridisation events played an important role in the Danthonioideae.