Sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum)

Tebu or sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum) is a plant species in Poaceae, a large grass that grows strong, a sturdy stalk, rich in sucrose as a simple sugar that accumulates in the stem segment and is widely cultivated in the tropics for the production of sugar, ethanol and others.

S. officinarum has tall and broad stems, has no branches, grows upright, 3-5 meters high or more, has a waxy coating that is grayish white, especially on young stems. Each segment has a border where the leaves grow and has a bud which is commonly called the "budding eye".

Incomplete leaves consisting only of strands and midribs, sitting at the base of the segment, long strands of 1-2 meters long, 4-7 cm wide and pointed end. The midrib grows elongated and covers the vertebrae, attached to the stem in an intermittent sitting position and protects the buds.

Root fibers grow at the base of the stem, 0.5-1 meters long and only the tips of young roots have hairs to absorb nutrients. Sugarcane grows well with uniform rainfall until the age of 8 months and this need is reduced just before harvest.

Plants grow well in hot and humid climates, altitudes 5-500 m, temperatures 28-34C, humidity above 70%, fertile soil and enough water but not stagnant and pH 5-6. All stems contain sugar water to 20% content.

Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Tracheophyta
Subphylum: Angiospermae
Class: Liliopsida
Order: Poales
Family: Poaceae
Subfamily: Panicoideae
Tribe: Andropogoneae
Genus: Saccharum
Species: Saccharum officinarum

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