How do silica bodies in grass leaves help scientists identify grass groups?

In the Poaceae family, silica bodies are specialized structures found within cells in the outermost layer of the leaf epidermis.1

These silica bodies exhibit distinct, consistent shapes—ranging from saddle-shaped to crescent- or dumbbell-shaped—which scientists use to distinguish between large groups of grasses. While other monocotyledons, such as sedges, also possess silica bodies in their epidermis, those found in grasses display a much greater variability in form, making them highly effective diagnostic tools for taxonomic identification.1