12 tribes, see text Panicoideae is the second-largest subfamily of the grasses with over 3,500 species, mainly distributed in warm temperate and tropical regions.

[1] It comprises some important agricultural crops, including sugarcane, maize (or corn), sorghum, and switchgrass.

[1] The three largest tribes, Paniceae, Paspaleae, and Andropogoneae, together with the small Arundinelleae, form the core of the subfamily.

The Gynerieae were formerly placed in Arundinoideae, and the basal lineage, the "centothecoid clade" with seven tribes, was formerly seen as separate subfamily, Centothecoideae.

[1] Phylogeny based on chloroplast DNA analyses, showing relationships of tribes within the subfamily (dashed lines indicate uncertain positions; C4 clades flagged):[1][2][4][5] Chasmanthieae Zeugiteae Steyermarkochloeae Tristachyideae C4 Centotheceae Cyperochloeae Thysanolaeneae Gynerieae Paniceae C3 & C4 Lecomtelleae Paspaleae C3 & C4 Andropogoneae C4 Arundinelleae C4